Bring It On
by Elven Dagger
Summary: Nobody EVER pranks the Marauders, Evans," snarled James, looking so furious that even Lily felt scared for a moment, "I'll forgive you if you grovel. Now. If not...This-Means-War!" Lily simply looked at him coolly and said, very coldly,"Bring it on."
1. So It Begins

**A/N: THIS IS NEW! Hallo, I've decided to get rid of my grammar mistakes made in my earlier chapters, and maybe add in and take out certain things. I'd like to believe that my writing has improved over the years; so, I want to smoothen out my old chapters. Anywho, that's about it.**

**If you lot are wondering why is it I'm so free as to update on a school day, it's because I'm sick with fever and a throat so sore I can hardly talk. I miss talking. (sniffle.)**

**Updated: 14/02/05**

**A/N: Hullo! This is my first Harry Potter fic and I don't know whether it's any good, so, I just hope that you guys like it. Anyway, this is based on the Order of the Phoenix; after all, you know that Lily started dating James in the 7th year, right? This is how I would've liked it to happen.**

**Summary: James pranks Lily one too many times, pushing her over the limit. The result? A prank war between her friends and his, the major battle of sexes will commence! Bring it on!**

**Disclaimer: As you all know, I do not own even own one measly scrap of Harry Potter, 'cause if I did, I would probably be stinking filthy rich. Kindly do not sue.**

"Lily! God, Lily you little brat! Get down here!" a very shrill, grouchy voice shrieked.

"Coming!" yelled the 17-year-old back. She straightened hastily, throwing her last minute homework and quills into her trunk. Swinging around, she tried to gather up ink bottles and scrolls of parchment while brushing her long fiery hair away. As she threw in her stuff hastily, said tresses obstructed her vision, causing her to trip over her dark blue knapsack and topple to the ground.

"Ouch!"

"Lord, Lily! You are such a klutz!" a tall bony girl of eighteen snorted, entering the room with a superior air. Her normally sour face, resembling one who had just swallowed a lemon, was twisted into a smirk as she surveyed her little sister who was still sprawled face down at her feet. "It's no wonder that you go to that horrendous place you call a school!" she hissed in a slightly softer voice, her wide pale eyes glinting, obviously afraid of what her mother would say if she was heard, "filth like you deserve it!"

Lily stood up, furiously pushing her hair out of her eyes and glaring at her sibling angrily. Ever since they were young, they would bicker and quibble over the tiniest things, far more than ordinary sisters did. Their parents assumed that this happened because Petunia was jealous of Lily's looks and brains. Even so, they did still love each other and were rather close in their own ways. But, when Lily turned eleven and received the letter from Hogwarts, that was the last straw, their strange relationship and caring which sometimes bordered love or extreme dislike for each other turned to hate. Petunia clearly regretted the day Lily was born, so, she made her as miserable as possible, hoping that she would too. She was what Petunia viewed as a disgrace to the family name, besmirching their clean house with her filth, as she so often put it.

" Give it a rest, _Petey_!" Lily spat out, her emerald eyes flashing, putting extra emphasis on the last word, knowing that it would drive her up the wall. Sure enough, her nostrils flared. "What's the matter? Can't take the fact that David turned you down? That you didn't get a scholarship?"

"Why you little witch!" she snarled back, flushing slightly and inching closer towards that shorter figure. "You're a freak of nature, and you know it! You're abnormal! Twisted, foul and AAAAAHHHH!"

She stopped talking abruptly and began to screech. Mainly due to the fact that Lily had just snatched one of the Snapping Rat Packs from her Doctor Filibusters' No Heat Wet Start Fireworks collection and had set it off with a prod of her wand. Now, teeny little mice that were fizzling and sparkling silver and white were chasing her sister down the stairs.

"MOM! MOM! LILY'S DOING IT AGAIN! MA-HAAAAMM!" Petunia's screams could still be heard when Lily locked the door. It didn't matter; the fire mice would disappear when her mother came. She had been using those fireworks and other pranks to counter Petunia's taunts for years. Even though she was finally allowed to use magic, she was afraid what would happen if she lost control. Like in her fourth year, when she gave a certain, very annoying Quidditch player antlers.

Lily tried to ignore Petunia's insistent shouts to her mother that her sister had sent a hundred ghouls after her. As she was sitting on her trunk, trying to lock it while listening to her mom ask Petunia whether she'd like to go to the doctor, she heard an urgent rapping on her window. She glanced up wonderingly and spotted a light grey owl outside. It's wings and feathers were dotted with black and white. The moment she opened her window, it dropped a red envelope into her hands and took off as though it were being chased by a herd of Thestrals.

Lily stared at her mail for a few moments before realizing what it was. She had only seen a Howler once before, that was in her second year, when one of her best friends, Andrea, received one. It was beginning to smoke in the corners slightly already, she panicked, afraid that it was from Professor McGonagall complaining about her bad marks in Transfiguration. It was too late to cast a Silencing Charm on her room, so, she frantically stuck one leg out of the window and sat on the roof, glad that she had done this many times before when she wanted to be alone. She held it out like a bomb and quickly slit it open before it decided to explode in her face. Although she had clamped her hands over her ears, it failed to even muffle the shouting.

"LILY ANNE EVANS!" the red envelope hollered loudly in a deep male voice. She winced and curled up into a ball, praying that no one would notice. "SO! HOW MANY MEN ARE YOU HIDING IN YOUR ROOM NOW! OOOOHH, I KNOW WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING, LILY EVANS! YOU SLEEP WITH YOU PROFESSORS TO PASS YOUR EXAMS, DON'T YOU! TO THINK, THAT AT THE TENDER AGE OF SEVENTEEN YEARS OLD, YOU, LILY ANNE EVANS, (it seemed to get louder whenever it screamed her name, already, Muggle neighbors were popping their heads out of their windows in confusion.) HAVE DONE –IT, WITH OVER THIRTY MEN! HOW WAS OLD FLITWICK, LILS? I KNOW THAT HE'S OVER SEVENTY, BUT HE MUST'VE BEEN GOOD TO GET YOU 130 PERCENT IN YOU CHARMS EXAM, EH?"

The Howler stopped as though it were finished, by then, Lily was already redder than a tomato, making her face clash horribly with her hair and wishing that she could curl up and die. Instead of turning into ashes like Howlers usually did, this one flew right to her ear and gave a barely audible whisper.

"Nobody turns James Potter down," it hissed, before becoming a pile of grey dust.

"JAMES THOMAS POTTER!" she shrieked at the pathetically small lump of dirt at her feet, squatting down to get a better look. "You know that none of that is true! I'll get you for this you little piece of-"

"Ahem."

Lily looked up, or more precisely, down, at a small squat figure that was staring at her. She swallowed a groan. The old lady was none other the nosiest neighbor on the block, Floreen Dursley, she was sort of a role model to Petunia. Her deeply lined and puckered face looked even darker and more forbidding than usual as continued glaring at her. Even Lily, who was used to being thought of as strange, dreaded what being seen like this would do to her reputation around the neighborhood. She realized how this looked to Mrs. Dursley, a beet-red seventeen-year-old girl with rumpled Muggle clothing and wild hair, squatting on the roof and yelling at a pile of dust.

Wonderful.

"Hi!" Lily tried desperately to smile cheerfully, as though this was something that she did every single day. "Erm…sorry if I disturbed you ma'am, I'm just…just…" _Brilliant_, she cursed herself, wondering whether she dared to snatch her wand and erase Mrs. Dursley's memory, "Just…looking for…something…" Lily ended lamely.

The old woman continued to gaze skeptically at her, "Something? Then what was all that racket, girl? Why can't you be more like you sister?" she stepped back slightly in order to get a better view of Lily.

"O-oh!" Lily flushed even darker. (Grabbing her wand was starting to look very tempting right now.) "T-that was my… radio! Yes! My radio! A-and I'm looking for… for my… pet!"

"Petunia didn't tell me you had a pet!" she growled suspiciously. "Exactly what song was that supposed to be? It sounded like someone was screeching your name! Now tell me, why on Earth are you screaming at a pile of dust? James, was it not?"

_Damn_! She groaned inwardly. For an elderly person, that woman had sharp eyes and ears. "Right," she tried once more to give a reassuring smile, which resulted with her looking like she had stomach cramps, "T-that was a song made by a friend," _a friend that I'm going to murder_, she added darkly, still trying to smile. "You know how our music is these days! A-and, this is my pet!" She grabbed the largest bit of dust and held it up proudly, trying to think of a rare and exotic creature that resembled a miniscule lump of ash.

"An ant?" she stated incredulously, sniffing loudly in disdain while raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly! (So much for rare and exotic.)" she agreed, nodding vigorously and turning to her new animal. "This is James! I guess that I was annoyed that James had just bitten me and… and everything… Erm…. Bad boy, James! Bad!" she frowned at the bit of dust clamped between her forefinger and her thumb, continuing to babble mindlessly. "Jamesie, this is Mrs. Floreen Dursley, a really lovely lady! Ma'am, this is James Thomas Potter. Oh, look at that! I think that he likes you and-"

She stopped as Mrs. Dursley put out a hand imperiously. "When Petunia told me about you, I thought that she _had_ to be exaggerating. Now, I see that she was far too kind," she paused, turning her hawk like stare to Lily's hand, where 'James' was. "I have my eye on you, girl. Good day to you, Lily." She paused and snorted before adding. "_James."_

Lily waited until she had slammed the door shut, most likely about to tell the entire neighborhood about the increased weirdness of "that Lily girl", before flopping down on the roof and giving a huge sigh of relied. She scowled and flung her supposed ant as hard as she could and kicked the pile of dust.

……

A young man with rumpled black hair strolled casually towards the barrier of Platform 9 ¾. He pushed his heavy trolley along, allowing a smile to cross his face as he stepped through the wall, hearing the joyful greetings at his arrival and catcalls from admiring girls. He flashed his trademark lopsided grin that made a pretty blonde witch near him swoon. Running a hand through his already messy hair to make it stick up even more he winked at another group of girls, causing them to give absurdly happy grins.

"Prongs," muttered another student next to him out of the corner of his mouth, "If you're done causing the entire female population here to fall at your feet, you'll help me look for Remus and Peter."

"Speak for yourself, Padfoot," he replied to his strikingly handsome companion who was attracting as much, if not more attention than he was.

Just then, a smiling witch with a curvy figure that many women could only dream of having, sidled up to Sirius's side, clinging on to his arm. She fluttered her heavily lashed sky-blue eyes, pouted her already pouty lips and said in a husky, drawn out voice, "Hi… Sirius…"

"Chelsea!" he gave her a welcoming smile, eyeing her Muggle clothes appraisingly. Her low red tube top showed off cleavage and her black jeans hugged her every curve. Before his companion could blink, Chelsea had already thrown herself violently on Sirius and was smearing his entire face with ruby colored lipstick.

His friend stepped back and eyed the busy couple with a slight look of disgust, "Right," he said to the snogging duo, "Come to the Head Boy compartment when the prefects are gone, okay? I'll look for the other two."

Sirius didn't reply as his mouth was currently occupied. Instead, he sort of twitched his head without opening his eyes and took one hand off his subject's bottom and waved it impatiently, as though he were shooing away an annoying fly.

He got the hint and shook his head, rumpling his hair again. He smiled to himself before walking away. _Sirius'll_ _never_ _change_, he mused, _he only met Chelsea… Chelsea…what's her name?_ He frowned and racked his brain to find her surname amongst the numerous names of his and Sirius's past fancies. _Brown?_ _Wait. No. That was Linda. Le' Fay? Yeah, Chelsea Le' Fay. Met her two days ago_. He glanced around, although girls near him were whispering to each other and smiling to him suggestively, he wasn't getting the same sort of greeting that Sirius got.

"JAMES THOMAS POTTER!" shouted somebody behind him.

He winced at his middle name, sincerely hoping it wasn't Linda, a very… unstable girl who he'd left at the end of last term. Giving his brightest smile, he turned to face the speaker. His grin faltered when he saw a pair of furious emerald eyes. Immediately, he tried to compose himself, leaning against his trolley in an effort to look relaxed.

"Alright, Evans?" he asked, trying to sound mature, widening his smirk as he looked down at her from his impressive height of 6'1 (a great deal taller than his subject's meager figure of 5'5, he might add.). She was in a simple top and (to his delight.) skirt. Her pale skin was flushed and wavy auburn hair flying out behind her, making her amusing to look at, to say the least.

"Quit it, Potter!" she snarled, bringing him back to reality. He then realized that he'd been staring openly. "Stop undressing me with your eyes!"

"I haven't the faintest idea _what _you're talking about, Evans," James replied, trying and failing dismally to look innocent. He ignored Sirius who had finally noticed that his friend was missing, seeing the plight that James was in now, he merely flashed him a wink and a smile before returning to 'business'.

"Potter!" she spluttered, her face turning slightly red now, obviously mildly flustered. He widened his smirk further and ruffled his hair again, knowing that she hated it. Sure enough, her glare intensified. He couldn't help noticing that she was very cute when she was mad. "I did _not _come here to socialize with you! You were the idiot that sent me that rotten Howler weren't you! That got me into trouble!"

"Why, Evans," he drawled inching closer and slinging his arm casually over her shoulders. He felt her stiffen beneath him, but was apparently too surprised to move. He also noted the warning look that Sirius, who had broken off his conversation with Remus and Peter to watch the drama that was unfolding (while trying to wipe off the smeared lipstick from his cheeks with an already very red handkerchief), sent him, "I would think that you'd like it. After all, many girls would love to get into trouble… especially with me."

She shot him a huge look of disgust before shoving his arm off her shoulders and stepping away. "Sod **_off_**, Potter! You're such an arrogant little berk! You think that any girl would be thrilled to even **stand** near you!" her voice was steadily gaining momentum and power, causing several people to turn and stare. "Well let me enlighten you, Potter! You're definitely not all that! And I'll get back at you for embarrassing me in front of my entire neighborhood, if it's the last thing I do!"

"Ah, my little lily flower," cooed James calmly, as if he weren't talking to a fuming girl who badly wanted to strangle him, "You don't understand. I am James Potter. And no one, and I mean _no one_, has ever successfully pranked or embarrassed me before."

"Y-you snobby bastard!" she yelled, her face turning a brilliant shade of red as she choked on her words in anger. "You are _such _a prick! You think you're the king of Hogwarts, so you're untouchable! I'm telling you Potter! You'll be sorry!"

James stared blankly for a while before saying, "Right. So. Does this mean that you won't say yes if I ask you to go out with me?"

Lily gaped at him. After all that yelling and screaming, he still had the nerve to ask her out!

"UGH!" she finally shouted, throwing her hands up and flouncing off, apparently too frustrated and annoyed to speak.

James continued to admire the sway of her hips as she stormed away. Remus, Sirius and Peter walked up to him, joining him in gazing at his fancy while she joined her two friends.

Remus, a tall boy of the same height as James with wavy, sandy brown hair and deep grey eyes flecked slightly with blue was the first to break the silence, "What did you do this time?"

James simply shrugged and said, "Nothing much."

"Does this have anything to do with the Howler you sent off this morning?" Sirius asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Maybe."

All of them burst out laughing, except for Remus, who, although the corners of his mouth twitched, surveyed James sternly. "For goodness sake, Prongs! I'd have thought, that after trying to ask her out for two years, you would've tried a different tactic," the three boys were still chuckling and snickering, so, he continued with a sigh. "Namely, _not _annoying her to death."

"C'mon, Moony! Lighten up! Prongs'll get her this year, I mean, how long can she resist? He's been mooning over her for so long already!" said Sirius, clapping James on the back.

"You said that last year," he countered, "And the year before that."

"I do _not_ moon over her," argued James, who had stopped laughing the moment he heard that, "It's just a matter of conquest, in fact-"

"And there I was, thinking that she had just found out that James was chosen to be Head Boy!" exclaimed Peter, who was still howling with mirth, cutting him off.

"What did you feed Dumbledore anyway?" asked Sirius, chortling.

"You're just annoyed, because you know that the Head Boy and Girl have their own private dorms!" said James with a smirk, "Which means that I won't have to put up with-"

"Wait a minute!" Remus spoke up suddenly, James looked up, clearly affronted after being interrupted twice already, "What d'you mean when you said that Lily would be mad?"

"Huh?" Peter looked confused for a second, then his face lit up. "Oh! You know, since she's going to have to work with Prongs for the whole year. I mean, she _is_ the Head Girl, after all."

His explanation was met by silence.

"You… didn't know?" Peter tried tentatively.

Sirius let out another shout of raucous laughter, making several first years nearby turn and stare, "Like I said, Jamesie, you'll get her this year."

"If he survives," Moony added ominously, before joining Sirius who was already doubling over with laughter.

"Shut it, you lot," said James, suddenly grinning. "I'll be off to meet my Head Girl, and don't call me Jamesie, Lipstick Boy."

He strode off eagerly with Remus, who was a prefect and had to follow his demented leader, leaving Sirius to use his already sodden piece off cloth to wipe his face, with Wormtail, who was faithfully trying to point out where the remaining lipstick marks were.

……

"ARGH!" yelled Lily loudly, letting off her anger the moment she reached her a tall Asian girl. She threw her backpack violently to the ground and glared at it, as though it were the source of her problems.

The girl, also known as her long-time friend, Taylor Lee, looked exceedingly apprehensive. "Err…" she said, unsure what to say lest it trigger Lily's temper. She was a few inches taller than Lily, Chaser for the Gryffindor house, had known her for about 7 years, and the girl still managed to terrify her with her rage.

"_Him,_" hissed Lily, jerking a shaking finger towards the general direction the prat that infuriated her was.

"Umm…" she said again, still scared. Taylor was famed for her quiet countenance and diplomatic skills, always the voice of reason. Sadly, in the face of danger, they deserted her.

"I come bearing gossip!" squealed another girl, breaking away from a large group of giggling peers who were slathered in make-up to join them. "Do you know that Frank Longbottom is going to marry-"

"Andrea," said Taylor, her dark brown eyes twitching, "this might not be the best time."

"Why not?" she asked. Andrea Rose, also one of Lily's best friends, was known as the resident Gryffindor fashion obsesser. One who didn't know her well could call her a ditz due to her large love for gossip, clothes and anything shiny. Of course, said person who didn't know her well would also end up in the Hospital Wing soon after. She was undeniably striking with large blue eyes and raven hair, and used her looks to her fullest advantage, working through boys like a hot knife through butter. Although she had never stayed with a guy for more than a month, (no one quite knew the reason why, assuming she was just a tart out for fun.) she was fiercely loyal to her friends. "Everyone loves gossip! Don't you love gossip… Li… _Oh_."

"Err… Chocolate Frog, Lily?" asked Taylor, hesitantly, hoping to clam her down with her usual remedy. Lily was usually serene and reasonable, but James was a special case, with a well-practiced technique to bring out her explosive side.

Lily took it without looking at her. She then tore the wrapper roughly and bit off the frog's head before it could even twitch, resulting with a horrible cracking sound. She continued scowling angrily at the chocolate that was making dying movements in her palm.

"Was it Potter again?" asked Andrea immediately; the second Lily had her mouth full so she couldn't start yelling.

"Honestly, Andy, you have all the tact of a rampaging Hippogriff," commented Taylor disapprovingly.

Andrea ignored her and continued staring at Lily.

"Yeah," she answered finally, after she finished crunching up her frog, "That bloody idiot sent a Howler to my entirely _Muggle_ neighborhood. It screeched a load of crap and got me into trouble."

"Well, compared to all the stuff he's done before, that isn't so bad," said Taylor comfortingly.

"Let me guess," cut in Andrea, not heeding Taylor's vigorous head shaking, "He got it to accuse you of doing something to Flitwick to give you top marks in charms, didn't he?" When Lily nodded sourly, she continued, "He's such a sore loser! He just can't take the fact that you wiped the board with his arse in that subject," When Lily didn't agree, she kept on talking, blissfully unaware of the nudges she was receiving. "Well, geez, Lily! That's not your most embarrassing moment! Remember the time in the first year when he"-

She shut up after getting the hint when Taylor stepped firmly on her foot.

But, it was too late.

"ARGH!" screamed Lily again, squeezing her eyes shut and covering her ears tightly with her palms, as though she were trying to block out the memory. "I told you never to talk to me about it again! Ever! I've been trying to forget it for seven long years now and-"

"Lily, you had better get to Head Girl compartment to give the prefects their orders," Taylor interrupted hurriedly, shooting a glare at Andrea, who was already imitating Lily's usual gestures and mouthing the words from her lengthy, favorite, I- Hate- Potter speech behind her back. They knew from experience, that if they didn't cut her off early, she would be ranting for hours.

"Oh my God!" exclaimed Lily, her eyes widening in dismay. "You're right! D'you know who the Head Boy is?"

"Well… erm… err…." Began Taylor, looking at Andrea desperately for help.

"Lily, you're not going to make a good impression if you're late," she jumped in quickly, picking up the hint for once.

"Right! Meet me in the head Girl compartment when the prefects are gone! See ya!" she said, before dashing away.

"You think that we should've told her?" asked Taylor, looking worried.

"Nah," replied Andrea indifferently, admiring her long, loose ringlets in her compact, "I'm not going to have my head bitten off just for being the messenger."

"Should we raid the food cart for chocolate like last year? It clamed her down and stopped her from making the first years wet their pants," Taylor suggested.

Suddenly, they heard someone who sounded suspiciously like their missing comrade scream "YOU!" from inside the train.

Both of them looked at each other before making a mad dash toward the food cart at the back of the Hogwarts Express.

**Author's Note: Okay. Erm. This is my first humor fic, so, I'm not sure if it's any good. Please review, 'cuz I definitely need opinions. Sadly, I won't be able to update soon since I'm having my school exams. Gimme a few weeks, or I could email you guys if you want. Anyway, it's getting late. And I get slightly strange when it's late. Toodles. **


	2. On the Hogwart's Express

**A/N: THIS IS NEW! Okay, here, I've given a few more hints about Andrea's past. To the old reader's, you know what I mean, to new ones, just assume I'm prattling and keep on reading! I've smoothed out a few sentences I didn't quite like and that's about it.**

**UPDATED: 16/02/05**

**Disclaimer: Ms. Rowling is the genius! I pale in comparison to her awesome might and power! In other words, I own zilch. I'm just writing this 'cuz I was inspired by the bit about Lily and James in the OOTP.**

Lily pushed her hair back into a tight ponytail with a white scrunchie, trying to give a confident smile to the mirror in the bathroom of the Hogwart's Express. She scrunched her face up as she examined how she looked. She had already put on her school robes over her Muggle clothes, her Head Girl badge gleamed on her chest, her hair was tied back firmly except for a few loose tendrils that had escaped. She grabbed the mini vanity set that Andrea had given her last Christmas (despite her insistence that she never used make-up.) and tried to add some color to her porcelain complexion.

She stared at her reflection and gazed at the girl who stared back. She saw a scared looking, thin 17-year-old girl with too red hair and too pale skin. The only thing she liked about her appearance was her large, almond shaped eyes. She never really thought herself pretty, though Andrea had on more than one occasion assured her the male population of Hogwarts found her stunning.

Lily finally tore herself away from the mirror, not liking her scrawny reflection with pasty skin and luminous eyes. As she walked out, several people greeted her since she was fairly well known and liked. Instead of grinning warmly and waving back as she always did, she walked stiffly and tried to greet them cordially, hoping that she was acting Head Girlish enough.

"Hey Lily!" squealed a newly minted Gryffindor fifth year Prefect, Elizabeth Patterson, normally known as Liz. She had curly, long white blonde hair, dark eyes and a fair complexion like Andrea's; she was, after all, her cousin.

"Hello, Elizabeth," she replied, turning her head and nodding slightly.

"Whoa! Lily, are you feeling okay?" she asked, frowning and touching Lily's forehead, "Not even my parents call me that! And are you having your period or something? You're walking all funny!"

Lily sighed, and gave a real smile while trying to relax her stance, "I'm trying to hard, aren't I Liz?" she asked, waving happily at a few classmates.

Well… yeah," she replied, laughing,."Be yourself, Lily! What's wrong?"

"I'm scared," she said simply. Seeing the puzzled look on Liz's face, she elaborated. "I've never had so much responsibility. I'm afraid I won't be able to cope, that I won't live up to people's expectations, that… that I'll let everyone down. And," she hesitated, "I know this is idiotic, but I'm Muggle born…"

"Lih-lee! Please don't tell me that you even give a fraction of your time listening to what those slimy Slytherins say!" cried Liz exasperatedly, "You're one of the smartest witches in Hogwarts! You'll be a great Head Girl!"

"Thanks, Liz, that kinda means a lot to me," replied Lily, some of her nervousness fading. "But I bet you anything that that idiot Potter and his stupid friends are going to ruin everything!" her timid attitude was suddenly replaced with fury and determination. "That new Head Boy and I'll have to work to shut them up!"

"Well… actually… Lily…" Liz began to look afraid, "I – I mean, you know… right?"

"Know what?" asked Lily, curious at the usually confident and bouncy Liz's change in demeanor.

"Well… actually… never mind. I'll just stand way, _way_ over here!" called Liz as she ran halfway down the hall that they were walking through. She most certainly wasn't going to be the bringer of bad news, Lily Evans's infamous ability in Charms and hexes were _nothing_ to be trifled with.

"You're coming with me to Madam Pomfrey later," she said, seriously thinking that she was ill.

She opened the door, but before she even touched the doorknob, it had already swung inwards. There, in her direct line of vision stood a handsome, familiar and hated figure wearing a Head Boy badge and a smirk the size of England.

"YOU!"

……

"_You want **how** much?" _squawked the old grandmotherly food trolley lady.

"All the chocolate frogs you have, seven sickles worth of Honeydukes's Best Chocolate, three pounds of Choco Almond Fudge and a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans! I'll throw in an extra sickle if you only give me the chocolate ones!" gasped Taylor frantically, thrusting out a handful of galleons and leaning on the side of the cart after having sprinted all the way there.

"You youngins…" muttered the lady reprovingly. "One day… when you're older… it'll all go to your hips! … If you don't get overloadeded with sugar first…"

"Ooh!" squealed Andrea suddenly, still clutching the stitch in her side, "D'you have any of those Whirl Lollies? I love those! And the bubblegum flavoured Beans?"

"Andy. Those are for _first _years."

"So? I like them!" whined Andrea, suddenly, she glanced back and said. "Hurry! I can already here Lily's sweet tones floating across right now."

Sure enough they could hear the faint sound of spluttering and shrieking.

"Oh Lord! Hurry! _Hurry_!" yelled Taylor, urging the lady on.

"Are you girls talking about Lily Evans?" she asked abruptly, looking scared and worried.

"D'you know her?" asked Andrea in surprise.

"Who could forget a girl who almost blew up half the Hogwart's Express, nearly destroyed my food cart and frightened the kids to death last year?" she demanded grouchily, yet with a hint of admiration. "But I gotta say, that girl's got more sand than I've seen in a good 50 years!"

"Well… now that you put it like that, I guess that she **is** kinda hard to forget..." agreed Andrea thoughtfully. "But you're right! Did you see how she charmed those spoons?"

"Goodness! Of course!" exclaimed the woman. "I've never seen any student that good in Charms! Do you know how long it took us to stop the spoons from attacking those two boys?"

"Pardon me!" interrupted Taylor impatiently. "But, why are we all standing here remembering past times when the Warlock War is starting again? Only it'll be worse with Lily Evans in the lead, cursing James Potter into oblivion!"

"I guess," replied Andrea vaguely, sounding as though they were merely discussing the good points of chicken and beef. "I want that Whirl Lolly. The blue one."

"That boy? The messy black-haired one?" gasped the witch, ignoring Andrea. "Did he get that bruise off? I thought that the spoon really had him back then! He's got the best reflexes I've ever seen, he's got the makings of a Quidditch player, that one!"

"That one! Yes! That one!" shouted Taylor. "Chocolate! Now!"

"And I want that purple one too," added Andrea, still oblivious.

"Goodness, girl! Why didn't you say so! Take the lot! It's free!" she shrieked, pushing the huge bag into Taylor's arms. "I'm not risking my trolley!"

Taylor nodded gratefully and sprinted away, the heavy bag in one hand and the other locked onto Andrea's forearm.

"Wait!" yelled Andrea. "What about my sweets?"

Her companion just rolled her eyes and bonked her on the head with a Frog.

……

"Me," agreed James calmly, opening the door wider and gesturing her inside in gentlemanly manner.

"_What the heck are you doing here, Potter?_" she yelled in a high-pitched voice, composure and air of dignity completely forgotten.

James let out a serried of loud, false coughs, polishing his badge absent-mindedly.

"Wait… oh no… nonononoo.." choked Lily, staring at the gleaming crest, shaking her head in disbelief. "Liz! Come here!"

"Err… yeah, Lily?" she replied timidly, not used to seeing Lily's bossy side.

Without uttering another word, she pinched her on the arm.

"OW! Why did you do that for?" she yelled, rubbing the sore spot.

"Did it hurt?"

"Well, yeah! Duh!"

"Then this can't be a horrible nightmare! ARGH! NO! NO!"

"Evans, in case you didn't know. You're supposed to pinch _yourself_," said James, grinning at the effect he had on her. "And my dear lily flower, it **is **a dream, (he took her hands and smiled, the prefects watching letting out catcalls, most of the girls hissing angrily.) a dream come true for you to be with me like this."

"**NO!**" she yelled, pushing him away and storming into the roomful of Prefects who were now quivering with fear and anticipation. "That badge is fake! Dumbledore can't _possibly _have made someone like you Head Boy!"

"Actually, Lily," said Remus quietly, being the only one brave enough to talk to her when she was in this mood. Partly because he was the best student in Defence Against the Dark Arts in their year and could easily repel whatever hex she put on him, "I'm afraid that he _is_ Head Boy."

"Remus!" wailed Lily, willing herself not to blush while looking imploringly at him. "Of all people! I know that you're his friend! But why do you have to keep up with his insane delusions?"

"I'll admit that he is insane," he said calmly, ("Hey!" protested James") "but this isn't fake. You'll just have to accept it."

"He **CAN'T **be Head Boy! He just **CAN'T!** I mean! Look at his hair for goodness sake!"

"What's wrong with my hair!"

"Yeah, I like it!" giggled a plump, ditzy 6th year prefect. She swooned as James shot her an appreciative grin.

"You stay out of this!" snapped Lily, making the girl shrink back into her seat. "Fine! So Dumbledore has gone senile! The world is crazy! Just give the stupid orders to the Prefects!"

"Are you sure you don't want to give it to them, my flower?" cooed James, glad that she had finally calmed down slightly. "You've already made _such_ an impression."

Unfortunately, that caused her to flare up again, "I AM NOT YOUR BLOODY FLOWER!" she screamed, but inside she realized that he was right. She had made an impression on the Prefects that would make them all think that she was insane.

"Now, now, Flower," said James disapprovingly, "Head Girls should be better behaved."

Lily breathed heavily, her chest heaving and her hand gripping the wand in her pocket. Already, she had the curse that she wanted to use in mind. Then, she stopped herself, forcing her hand to release the death grip it was in with her wand. She chanted silently in her head, _I will not completely blow up on my first day as Head Girl. I will not turn Potter into a piece of fungus. At least not until the bloody Prefects are gone!_

"Alright…" she said finally, trying to calm herself, "as some of you already know, you have to patrol the corridors from time to time and punish trouble makers during the train ride. You're allowed to give detentions although you have no power to deduct points. Even so, you still have to run the detention slips by either me and this prat or a teacher. Prefect duty rosters will be posted on the notice boards each month whereas meeting will be held every fortnight. When the day is decided upon, you'll be informed." she paused, making sure that everyone understood. "Got it?"

No one answered, mostly afraid that even a single movement might trigger her explosive temper again.

"If there are no further questions, you may go." said Lily.

"Oh, and if there's anyone who wants to get out of detention or get points back, they can always come to me!" called out James to the crowds retreating backs. They cheered but shut up the moment they saw Lily's glare.

"You are _not_ allowed to abuse your position like that!" she hissed, her wand already out and gripped tightly in her hand, emitting dangerous red sparks. At the sight of that, the remaining students ran for their lives.

"Evans, put that wand away and lighten up!" said James calmly, now rummaging through the mini snack bar in a corner of the fancy carriage. "Hey! There're complimentary snacks! Sugar Quill, Moony?"

"I'm serious, Potter!" she yelled at James and Remus, whose backs were now facing her as they crammed sweets into their mouths. "You aren't going to help trouble-makers get off easy just because they're your friends!"

"What 'cha gonna dyjoo, Evansh?" said James, trying to form words despite the fact that there wasn't any space left in his mouth. He swallowed and said more clearly, "Hex me? You could get detention."

"Puh-lease, Potter," snorted Lily, elbowing them out of the way and grabbing a bottle of Butterbeer, "I haven't gotten a single detention since I came here. I'm _not_ going to get one now."

Just then, the door burst open and Taylor and Andrea rushed in, sweaty and holding what seemed to be a large heavy sack.

"You're still alive!" exclaimed Andrea to James in surprise, circling him and poking at him to make sure that Lily hadn't hurt him.

"Yeah!" agreed Taylor, staring at him, who was currently looking very annoyed at being prodded by a curious girl. "And still in one piece! Lily! I'm so proud of you! You actually held your temper! I would've thought that you'd have already turned him into something unrecognizable by now!"

"Don't tempt me," growled Lily through gritted teeth. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Ooh! Chocolate! For me?" Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed a large piece of fudge from the bag.

James sighed at her friends' antics. Then, what she said registered in his mind. "You mean you've seriously never been to detention before? Not once?" he asked incredulously.

"No," she answered shortly. "You got a problem with that?"

"Are these complimentary snacks?" squealed Andrea happily, pouncing on the baskets. "Look! They have Whirl Lollies!"

The doors swung open again, and in burst Sirius and Peter. "James! Mate!" yelled Sirius, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "You're alive!"

"So we've heard," commented Remus dryly.

"Why does everyone expect me to be hurt?" asked James exasperatedly.

"You're always hurt when you're around Evans. Remember how long it took us to rearrange your face?" pointed out Sirius, ignoring Peter who was sniffing interestedly at the hoard of candy that Lily and her friends had abandoned in order to explore the mini-bar. "Might I say that you're arse looks exceptionally lovely in Muggle clothes, Rose?" he added, already trying to flirt even though he had a girlfriend, and ignoring the fact that he and Andrea weren't even on good terms ever since he had ripped her favourite robes in the 4th year, she in turn had sent him to the hospital by kneeing him in the groin.

"Sod off, Black," she snapped, "I know what you're after, and just you wait till Le' Fay here's about this."

"It's not like you look that good anyway," he mumbled, which he knew deep down, well, actually, not even that deep, was a total lie. She had a figure to die for, which was obvious even through her tasteful (but modest.) long-sleeved blouse and flowing white skirt. Truth be told, Sirius found it rather strange that she was dressing so conservatively. Andrea was well known for finding sadistic pleasure in making boy's pulses race with her plunging neck lines and belt sized skirts. "Are those Whirl Lollies? Move over, Rose!"

"Hah!" yelled Andrea triumphantly, "See? I'm not the only one who likes 'em! OY! Give those back, Black!"

"Make me!"

Lily rubbed her temples and groaned, "C'mon you two, let's get out of here before we go loony like them."

Unfortunately, no one paid the slightest bit of attention to her. James and Remus were having a "Who Can Guzzle Down the Most Butterbeer and Get Drunk First Wins Competition", the former stealing glances at her every now and then. Sirius and Andrea were wrestling over one of the goodie baskets while Taylor searched for sherry.

Suddenly, choking sounds distracted them all. When they turned to stare, Peter was on all fours on the ground, one hand clutching his throat and his face turning a brilliant shade of magenta. Near him was a half-eaten bar of Honeydukes's Best Chocolate.

"Oh," said Taylor casually, munching on a Peppermint Toad, while the other three boys ran to him, starting to whack him on the back, "We charmed those in case anyone tried to take them."

"We'll be off now!" called Andrea, struggling to lift all the stuff that she had emptied out of the mini-bar. "Tell us what colour his spots are! Toodles!"

"You're not getting away with that load, Rose!" yelled Sirius, preparing to run after her.

"Change him back now!" snarled James threateningly while Remus tried to reverse the effect. Instead, he sprouted purple feathers out of the green spots that he had acquired.

"What're you going to do?" countered Lily, stepping in front of Taylor defensively. "Make us?"

"You got that right!"

The room exploded into a haze of colours and smoke.

……

When Remus finally opened his eyes, the girls had disappeared, James was lying face down on the floor, Peter was curled up in a corner and Sirius was walking towards the bar.

"Are you lot alright?" Remus asked, coughing slightly at all the dust that was kicked up.

James and Peter only groaned, but Sirius was far more literate.

"I bloody hell am not!" he yelled angrily, gesturing towards the empty cupboards. "Rose took all the food!"

……

"Curse that Potter! _Curse him!_" shouted Lily, flopping down on a seat.

"I think you already did, Lily," said Andrea, stuffing a Whirl-Lolly into her mouth. "That was the best Furnunculus curse I've ever seen."

"Stay still Lily, or I can't get rid of the green skin," said Taylor warningly, waving her wand around. "You didn't have to stand in front of me you know… but thanks anyway."

"No problem, the git was aiming for me anyway," sulked Lily, holding up her hand to examine the skin, "I'm not going to let that bullying prick get away with threatening my friends!"

"It kind of matches your eyes," observed Andrea absently, her mouth full of treacle fudge.

Suddenly, the door slid open and Liz's face appeared. "Hi! The trolley lady told me that you guys took most of the chocolate!" she closed the door behind her and continued talking, not having spotted Lily yet. "I found the Head carriage almost blown apart and James looking like something out of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. I knew, and I mean _I knew_ who's handiwork that was!" she paused to take a breath. "My God! What the heck happened to you, Lily?"

"Better not rub it in, motor- mouth," warned Andrea, throwing her a Chocolate Frog.

"Andrea, you know that you're far worse! And if anything, I get it from you!"

"Oh yeah? Well I don't talk nonstop!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Well this is mature," mumbled Taylor, prodding her patient with her wand. Both girls ignored her.

"A gazillion times do too!"

"A jillion times do not! Hah! So there, I win!"

"Do not!"

"Will both of you give it up?" yelled Lily. "Besides, there's no such thing as a gazillion or a jillion."

"Alright, I think that I finally got it," said Taylor, tapping her on the head.

Lily's skin turned orange.

"Now it kinda matches your hair," commented Andrea; unheeding the poisonous glare that Lily shot her.

"Oh, give it here," said Liz, pulling the fuming girl towards her, she waved it anti-clockwise and said, "Restoro," successfully turning her back to normal.

"Thanks, Liz," sighed Lily in relief, grabbing a few sweets. "I'm glad that you're into Healing."

"Sure," she replied, waving it off, "Why d'you hate James so much anyway? He's really into you."

The room fell deadly silent as Andrea and Taylor held their breaths, watching Lily's face darken.

"He did something to me when I first came here, and I've never forgiven him since," answered Lily quietly after a few minutes of tense silence. "And that's all I'm going to tell you, because that's more that anyone but the three of us knows."

Liz opened her mouth, but closed it quickly. Even she knew when to shut up, so she changed the subject, "You know, I think that Sirius Black has got to be **the **hottest guy in school!"

Andrea choked on her Butterbeer and began coughing violently, after hacking her left lung out, she looked at Liz and said, "You are _not_ my cousin!"

"Huh?"

"Ignore her," consoled Taylor. "It was just a set of robes."

"_Just a set of robes!"_ screeched Andrea. ""_DO YOU **KNOW** HOW MUCH THEY COST!"_

"Anyway, I think that James could put up a pretty good fight…with that strong chin and straight nose…" sighed Taylor, "I know that I'm supposed to be over him," she added quickly, when she saw Lily's death glare. "But, hey, can't I admire him without it being something? And Remus **is** pretty good looking… there's just something about him…"

"You lot are insane," grouched Lily, but she lowered her head a little at the mention of Remus's name. The truth was, she had always had a secret, tiny infatuation for him ever since he saved her from Potter in the first year. But if he wasn't going to do anything, then she sure wasn't about to embarrass herself.

Andrea joined in the conversation, "Why do they even _let_ Peter tag along? He is so un-Marauderish! They're all so tall and cute… Yes… even Black," she muttered at Liz's questioning gaze. "Just look at James's eyes!"

"They're the most penetrating shade of hazel!" cooed Liz, "But I'm in it for Sirius! I love the way his gorgeous hair falls over his face! And the way he looks at you in that sad pathetic way! Making his deep brown eyes all puppy-ish!"

"That's the look he gives girls when he wants to get 'em into bed," pointed Andrea sulkily.

"Well… yeah," admitted Taylor, ignoring Andrea. "It does fall in a really cool way. Why don't you just go out with James, Lily? He might really like you!"

"Don't make me laugh, Tay," snorted Lily. "Firstly, I don't date arrogant bastards. And secondly, you know that the only reason he wants to go out with me is because I'm the only girl in the 6th and 7th year who hasn't gone out with him."

"You two submitted?" gasped Liz.

"Kind of…" mumbled Andrea sheepishly, "She went out with him in the fourth year. But when I was with him, I was young and stupid! I didn't know any better!"

"That was five months ago."

"Exactly!"

"Alright!" yelled Lily, covering her ears. "This discussion is officially over! Mention his name once more and I'll explode!"

"You're just trying to forget the fact that you went out with Sirius Black in the fifth year," pointed out Taylor.

……

"I'm done with Peter," said Remus, wiping his hands on his robes. "He can breathe freely and is now spot free! But I think that the girls put something on the candy to stop him from tasting anything…" (Peter sniffled and whined, 'The feast tonight is always the best!) "Ah well… you can't get everything. How ya doing, Padfoot?"

"Wish I could say the same, Moony," sighed Sirius in frustration, turning James around to face them, causing Remus to have to stuff his hand in his mouth to muffle his laughter and Peter to cringe. "But I think that Evans added a little something to that curse. The usual cures aren't working."

"Damn her," growled James, touching his disfigured face and wincing. "Just wait till she goes out with me! Then I'll show her!"

"Well, that sure made sense," said Sirius.

"Why do you even want to go out with her?" asked Peter shrilly. "That girl and her friends are dangerous!"

"Matter of conquest, my dear Wormtail," replied James as though it were the most obvious thing. "She's the only decent-looking girl who hasn't fallen for me yet. After her, I'll rule Hogwarts."

"Like you could ever beat me," shot back Sirius, but they all rolled their eyes. They knew that James really did have a thing for Lily, even if he refused to admit it or believe it.

"And if you don't like her, as we all believe you have since the 4th year, why were you so jealous when we started dating?" countered Sirius triumphantly. "You wouldn't even talk to me for weeks until we broke up!"

James flushed slightly, but said, "My mood then had nothing to do with her, Padfoot! As if I'd ever be jealous of you! I was… angry because my… cat died."

"The excuse would be believable if we didn't know that you didn't have a cat."

"Never mind," interrupted Remus, taking pity on James. "Tell me, why do you insist on pranking her if you want to 'conquer' (adding a loud fake cough that sounded suspiciously like 'crush') her so much?"

"Dunno…" said James thoughtfully, running a hand through his hair. "I can't help it! She just looks so cute when she's annoyed… And there's just something about her that makes it so fun… Who cares anyway? The question is, why does she hate me so much?"

"You really _don't know_?" said Remus, stunned. "You don't remember?"

"Should he?" asked Sirius and Peter blankly.

"Err… no," answered James, then he looked suspicious, "you mean **you** do?"

"If you can't even remember, then I'm not going to tell you," replied Remus coldly, turning his back to him.

James opened his mouth to pressure him, the shut it and shrugged. He certainly didn't remember doing anything, so Moony must've just been making this up. "Whatever. It's not like I care this much… she is just a conquest after all," he said grouchily, suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Evans told me that she's never been in detention before…"

"Which is why she'd never fit in with you," added Sirius, "And you're coming up with something aren't you? That I've-Got-a-Great-Plan look on your face completely gives you away! And I am **not** stealing Snivelly's boxers again."

"Don't even say what you're thinking," warned Moony.

"Yeah, she didn't even get in trouble that time she gave you antlers!" said Peter admiringly. "I swear that it's the eyes."

"I still need to get back at her for giving me this face…" mumbled James, ignorant and unaware of the glares shot at him by Remus, "I'll just get her into detention with me! I can show her my good side!"

"You have one?"

"If this doesn't do her harm or hurt her, then I'm in," said Remus, still looking slightly suspicious. "But if it does, count me out. Lily happens to be a friend."

"Don't blame me if you end up with your head backwards again," grumbled Sirius.

"Shut up and listen, you lot," said James, his eyes shining. "I've got a plan."

**A/N: Ooh! Thank you so much! You guys have really made my day! Oh, I forgot to add in my last chapter that I know that they didn't have these kind of clothes in Lily and James's time, but just help me assume that they do, okay? So! What do you all think? C'mon! More reviews, faster updates!**


	3. Hell Hath No Fury Like Woman Scorned

**A/N: THIS IS NEW! Ok, just finished correcting this chapter! No huge changes.**

**UPDATED: 19/02/05**

**Disclaimer: I dearly wish that I could shamelessly claim that Harry Potter belongs to me... sadly, I am nothing more than a sad, sad wannabe author. (sniffle) O great lady Rowling! How I worship thee! Not only because she created the amazing world of Harry Potter, but also 'cause she's richer than the Queen of England! **

(**Did that just sound as shallow as it felt? Never mind. Don't answer.)**

"I'm telling you, Tay," Lily mumbled, piercing a piece of steak. "He's up to something. He and his stupid friends are _definitely _plotting how to cause trouble."

"Lily. You – are – obsessed," she replied calmly and firmly, gulping down pumpkin juice. "Now. Be a good girl and stop staring at them, or people might start to think that you're interested."

"That's gross," commented Andrea, sounding disgruntled. "Oh, give me your mash potatoes if you're just gonna play with them like that," she added before quickly spooning all the fluffy potatoes off Lily's plate and onto her own.

"I have a right to make sure that no one causes trouble," said Lily stiffly, still glaring at them and failing to notice the missing food. "Oy! Give me back those potatoes Andrea Persephone Rose!"

"Shh! Don't call me by my middle name!" she hissed, clamping one hand over Lily's mouth and quickly shoving the potatoes back to their rightful plate. If there was one thing she hated, it was to be reminded that she even _had _a middle name. "Besides, it's not like you were even going to eat them! You were just pushing them around in the shape of a face! A bespectacled face with messy hair, I might add," she said coyly.

"I was not!" Lily practically shouted, causing several people to turn and stare. She lowered her voice slightly, turning hard and bitter. "Both of you know what happened. You even saw it happen, Andrea."

"Lily," said Taylor softly, in her most comforting tone. Even Andrea, who was usually too busy stuffing her face to notice if a hundred Howlers landed in the Great Hall looked up, concerned. "I know that you don't like to talk about it, but you're seventeen. You should at least be able to hear me out. You've been running away for seven years now! Can't you just bury the hatchet? Forgive and forget? He hasn't been that bad since."

"If I had a hatchet, I'd know exactly where I'd like to bury it," snarled Lily, glaring murderously at the four boys who were talking intensely.

"I'm not so sure about that, Tay," said Andrea, her voice unusually soft, talking as they always talked when discussing this matter. "He hasn't stopped jinxing Snape, has he? Or hexing people who annoy him? Or just showing off and playing pranks on us left and right?"

"As strange as it may be, she's right, Taylor," snapped Lily. "He's never apologized to me. In fact, he didn't even _notice_ that I was alive after that incident until the fourth year… when I finally 'matured' physically," she snorted, with a look of great contempt at this. "He's nothing more than a shallow oaf. He hasn't stopped pranking us since I turned him down. Give it up, Taylor. I know that you like to see the best in people, but face it. This boy's a lost case."

"I didn't mean that he's improved _that _much, but, I mean, he has stopped cursing people when he feels like it, right?" admitted Taylor. "But I think that you could… I dunno... change him. And stop staring at them! It's getting really spooky."

"No," said Lily firmly. "That was the whole reason you and Andy went out with him in the first place, wasn't it? That, and to try to get me to make peace with him? Well-"

"I didn't go out with him for that!" interrupted Andrea quickly. "I stuck with him because he's a great kisser."

"It sure didn't work, did it?" continued Lily, deliberately not replying, not too eager to discuss the finer points of James Potter's snogging techniques. "Both of you only lasted a few months!"

"Lily…" sighed Taylor in defeat, "I wanted to change him. I really did. But sometimes… when I was with him, I could tell that he was imagining that I was you. I know that he does this to every girl he's with, that's why his relationships never last so long."

"Oh, yeah? I thought that it was 'cause he's an insufferable prick."

"Sure doesn't stop him from giving those stupid ditzes that trail after him like a band of lost puppies hickeys, does it?" growled Andrea. "I agree with Lily on that one, he is such a jerk."

"This isn't about the fact that he dumped you before you could dump him, is it? Because if it is-"

"He did _not _dump me! No one dumps me! He just had the nerve to put whipped cream in my hair, _right_ after I get it washed at the most expensive hair salon in Hogsmeade! Do you _know_ how impossible it is to even get an appointment there? I mean-"

"Okay! End of discussion!" said Lily in a cold tone, her eyes burning holes in James Potter's unaware head. "If he cared about me so much, he would be crawling on his hands and knees, begging for my forgiveness. If he wanted me so much, he would treat me way nicer. So stop talking about him!"

Just then, James looked up from his heated discussion and caught her staring at him. He gave her a cocky grin while raising an eyebrow suggestively. She in turn hardened her glare before quickly turning away to spear a baby pea with far more force than was required, blushing furiously.

_I'll never forgive him, _she thought angrily, taking a peek and seeing him still smiling that stupid smug smile. _Never._

……

"She's definitely interested," said James, grinning from ear to ear. "Did you guys see the way she was staring at me?"

"Yeah," said Remus. "If looks could kill, you'd already be dead and buried."

"Forget it," replied James, feeling annoyed. "This is why you haven't had a girlfriend for a year, Moony. You have no imagination."

"This is also why I didn't end looking like a poisonous piece of fungi and having to wait till the trolley lady takes pity on me and turns me back," shot back Remus.

"Fine," grumbled James, casting around for a change of subject. "What do you think of my plan so far? Simple, yet effective."

Sirius continued to shovel food at high speed into his mouth without really pausing to chew. He nodded his head slightly before snatching the serving dish of treacle tart and miraculously inhaling most of it in. The only one who was really paying attention to him was Peter, who at the same time was also trying to snatch a slice of tart from Sirius.

"Sure, Prongs," said Peter quickly, grabbing a piece of the coveted dessert and stuffing it into his mouth before Sirius could wrestle it from him, then sulking, as he realized that he couldn't taste it. "How're you gonna do it?"

"Good man, Peter," said James, grinning. "Knew you'd be in for it!" he then turned to Remus, "Moo-oo-nii-hhee!" he whined in his most wheedling tone. "You know that I'd never do anything to harm Ev- I mean Lily intentionally! Don't you trust one of your bestest friends in the whole world?"

James looked up at him, making his eyes wide and imploring, knowing how many had crumbled beneath the look that he had perfected since he was five. Sure enough, Remus felt himself weaken.

"Fine," he replied at last, giving in as he always did. "But don't think that I don't know why you're begging so hard, there's one part that involves research for something, isn't there?"

"Knew you'd do it, Moony!" yelled James happily, making to slap him on the back, but changing direction at the last moment and whacking Sirius on the shoulder in retaliation for spraying bits of pudding on him seconds earlier. Sirius paid him no heed, but continued amazing the first years with his eating skills.

"Kindly bear in mind that I trust you, just not when you're around Evans. But I think that your plan wouldn't include anything that would hurt her, right?" he asked, fixing him with a stare that that he used to make his fellow Marauders squirm when he thought that there may have been something they weren't telling him. "And the real reason I'm doing this would be because I know that you've got something for Lily… think how adorable both of you would look together!" he couldn't resist adding.

"I do not!" he protested, as the other three snorted, even Sirius, whose cheeks was bulging at the humungous amount of fudge stuffed in, somehow managed to make a sound resembling said offensive noise. "Don't believe me then! But she will _never_ be anything to me other than an extremely short-tempered red-head whom I merely want to triumph over right after I get revenge on her."

"That explains the faraway look in your eyes every time you look at her," commented Remus, looking innocent while snatching a jam tart off the platter that Sirius was eyeing before he could stop him.

"I – do – not – like – her! Get that into your thick head! End of story!" growled James. The other three shut up immediately, all knowing how unwise it was to test James in this sort of mood. "Alright you lot, listen up," he said calming down. "Moony, you're in charge of…"

……

The second day of the term dawned bright and clear for Lily, who happened to be in a very good mood. Their first day back had been just about perfect; there hadn't been a single disturbance from Potter or his stupid cronies, who were supposedly 'working'. Most likely the warning that Professor Dumbledore had given them after the Feast (having heard the incident on the train.) had given them was still ringing in his head. Professor Flitwick had practically sung in delight at her performance in his class, or that may have been due to the fact that Andrea's spell went wrong.

She smiled as she got dressed, determined to do well for her worst subject, Advanced Transfiguration. She did wonderfully in theory part, but when it came to the practical, she basically flopped, and she flopped badly. It was thanks to the full marks that she had received for her theory paper that had scraped her the "O" in her OWLs after she Transfigured her flower into a three headed chicken.

"Nothing can spoil this day!" she exclaimed happily, jumping up and pushing a very groggy Andrea off the dressing table.

"Mmf," grunted Taylor, throwing a pillow at her before burrowing deeper into her covers while covering her head with her reaming pillow. Lily dodged the pillow and continued brushing her hair.

"Why d'you have to be so bouncy?" grumbled Andrea stifling a yawn and shifting a chair near Lily so that she could continue applying make up. "It's the crack of dawn. Couldn't you have just stayed in the Head's Room if you're gonna be so energetic?"

"Firstly, Potter might be there," said Lily brightly, tying half of her hair up so that it didn't fall on her face. "Secondly, classes are starting soon, so I've got to make sure that both of you are on time. Don't give me that look, Andy, you fell asleep on the dressing table last year after you finished putting on your make up, and both of you ended up an hour late for Slughorn's class. Anyway! Up and at 'em, Tay!"

"You get up. You get at 'em," mumbled Taylor, curling up tightly.

"Lily, it was Potions. I hate Potions," whined Andrea, to sleepy to think of a better argument. "And anyway, we'll never be early risers like you. Give it up."

"You've been up since 6.30. C'mon Tay, rise and shine!"

"_You _rise… _you _shine."

"Today's special. I need to get dressed and ready. That bastard Diggory is in our first class, and I've got to make sure he sees the beauty he cheated on," she argued. "Besides, I was planning to go back to sleep."

"Oh no you don't," said Lily, tugging Taylor's arm while her other arm clutched the bed post. "We have Ad. Transfiguration first two periods, and I need all the help I can get."

"Andy… are my eyes open?" Taylor muttered, both hands now firmly hanging on to the bed head while Lily used her entire body weight to pull at her legs. But she wasn't one of the best Chasers in Gryffindor for nothing, so Lily failed to even loosen her grip.

"No," replied Andrea without turning back, smearing lip-gloss on her cheeks in mid-yawn.

"Good."

……

Sirius yawned and fell asleep on the breakfast table.

"Up, Padfoot! Up!" grunted James, whacking his snoring friend on the head.

"Let 'em rest, Prongs," said Remus, rubbing his eyes blearily as Peter fell asleep in his porridge. "They _were_ the ones stuck in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom the whole night, waiting for _your_ potion to mature, remember?"

"But they're the distraction!" he grumbled, shaking both of them, Peter sleeping contentedly in his breakfast. "You sure you don't want to help?"

"Yes," he replied firmly without looking up, "I did the research and got you the ingredients for the Bile, got up at five in the morning just to help you flask it and saved Padfoot and Wormtail from Myrtle who went on rampage after both of them had apparently fallen asleep while she was talking. I'm _not_ going to get my head blasted off by Lily and her friends."

"Fine. We'll handle it ourselves," he said, sulking and splashing pumpkin juice over both their faces.

"I'm up, you old hag! I'm up!" yelled Sirius, jerking his face out of the bacon and hitting Peter by accident. "Geroff, mum!"

"Hurry! They're here!" hissed James, shoving them off.

Lily walked into the Great Hall happily with Andrea and Taylor trailing behind her, but she felt her good mood evaporating the moment she saw Sirius and Peter approaching them.

"Whatever you two want, the answer is no," she snapped before either of them could open their mouths.

"Lily! Darling! What makes you think I want anything?" said Sirius, recovering quickly and smiling charmingly while slinging an arm across her shoulders.

"Get lost, Black," she snarled, ducking out underneath his arm.

"Why, Taylor!" said Andrea suddenly, in a falsely curious voice, despite the fact that she was glowering at Sirius, her eyes boring hard into his quaking form. "Is it just my imagination, or is the perverted idiot who happens to be missing's even more perverted best friend being unusually chummy with us?"

"Why, Andrea," continued Taylor in the same tone and glaring at Peter, who had just opened his mouth to speak to them, "I do believe you're right! Now why would that be so?"

"Alright, alright," said Sirius, holding up his hands, and shifting slightly so he was blocking their line of view of a certain trouble-making Marauder who was creeping up to one end of the table and filling a jug of juice with liquid from a flask. "Geez. Girls. Why the heck are you all so paranoid?"

"Might be the time you pretended to be patting me and shoved a frog down my robes, Black," growled Andrea.

"Don't worry," said Peter, trying, but failing horrendously to be soothing. "We merely want to have the pleasure of accompanying three ravishingly beautiful ladies to the breakfast table."

"Cut the crap, Pettigrew," replied Andrea, turning her vicious gaze on Peter, who seemed to shrink slightly. "Has Black been trying to teach you those ridiculous lines? They so do _not _work on you."

"Are you actually saying they work on Black?" asked Lily incredulously.

"NO!"

"But you _did_ go out with him… so they must work."

"Taylor!"

"At least allow us to lead you to your seats," said Sirius (who was pretending that he couldn't hear their argument while smirking.) so persuasively that the three began to walk forward with him. The Black charm rarely failed, after all, he did manage to convince Lily Evans whose sworn foe was his best friend to date him didn't he?

He led them to their chairs near the head of the Gryffindor table and even pulled out their chairs for them. They sat after inspecting the chairs carefully.

"Well?" asked Taylor with narrowed eyes. "What're you waiting for? Pull whatever stupid joke that you wanted and _leave._"

"Give us this chance to gentlemanly, ladies," said Sirius, with a warming smile and taking a goblet from behind him while filling it up with pumpkin juice.

"The day you become a gentleman, is the day cows fly," snorted Lily, remembering the short period of time they went out and the way he had acted.

"Actually, cows _did_ fly last year," squeaked Peter timidly, who too, was helping to fill up goblets. "Remember the Transfiguration lesson where we-"

"_Shut up,"_ commanded Andrea.

Peter fell silent while Sirius handed Lily the goblet that he had filled.

Lily took it and laughed, "Honestly, Black," she said snidely. "Did you think that I was born yesterday?" she thrust the goblet back to Sirius and grabbed one next to her while filling it with another pitcher of pumpkin juice.

"Guess we can't pull the dragon skin over your eyes, eh Evans?" said Sirius, sighing and looking downcast. "C'mon Pete, we must make our sad, sad retreat. Alas! We have failed like the scum we are, to fool these three brilliant, gorgeous, witty-"

"Go – a – way!"

"Lovely young girls," he finished quickly before leaving.

Lily smirked to herself, not seeing the two high five each other while James emerged from behind a curtain as she was taking a large gulp of the beverage.

……

"Okay," muttered Remus to the other two as they walked to the Advanced Transfiguration classroom (Peter had gone to DADA since he didn't take advanced classes.) "I've put a timing spell on the Bile. I've been counting the minutes since she drank it, so it should start taking effect in 15 minutes, right in the middle of McGonagall's NEWTs speech."

"I owe you, Moony," said James, traipsing along happily. "She's always mad when she's interrupted when she's interrupted during her speeches. Evans'll definitely get detention with me, giving me a whole night to charm her."

"I've got a question, Prongs," said Sirius suddenly. "Have you already gotten detention? And if you have, how're you going to get the same detention time as her?"

James stopped walking just outside the classroom, staring at his friends blankly, avoiding their incredulous looks and their 'You-mean-you-don't-know?' expressions. He finally scowled, comforting himself that at _least_ he was teaching her not to mess with him, and said, "Shut up, Padfoot."

……

"Advanced Transfiguration," breathed Lily, clutching her books to her chest and seeming to be in pure bliss as she looked at the classroom door. "Finally! After all that hard work! At long last, I'm finally here!"

"I don't see what's so great about this, Lily," said Andrea, clearly unimpressed. "Besides, I find it boring."

"That's easy for you to say," she huffed. "I didn't see _you_ with a three-headed chicken instead of a dove for _your_ OWLs. Besides, you're practically tying with Potter without even trying."

"No bickering," chided Taylor. "Let's go in. McGonagall's going to give her usual speech."

They took their seats near the front as a result of Lily's insistence because James was sitting right at the back, and she certainly didn't want to get near him, and because she claimed that sitting near the teacher would help her absorb every bit of knowledge given. The other two didn't protest, both knowing how mad Lily could get if she missed a second of any of her classes, especially her worst ones.

Professor McGonagall walked in, silencing the class's chatter immediately. "Before we begin," she started, "I wish to enlighten you on the sheer importance of your NEWTs exams. If you thought that your OWLs year was tough, it was nothing, and I mean _nothing_ compared to the year that you are about to face."

Lily quivered on the edge of her seat, quill in her hand and ready to take notes.

Andrea groaned loudly.

"Ms. Rose, despite the fact that you seem to pass all my exams with flying colours even with your shameful lack of concentration in my class," she snapped, turning sharply to Andrea, "I will make myself clear when I say that I expect far more attention to be paid this year. The NEWTs may be the most important wizarding exams that you will ever take in your time here at Hogwarts," she continued, turning her attention back to the class and making each student squirm under her beady eye. "They will determine your future, whether you become a success… or a failure. As you all already know, I expect nothing less from my top class except the best."

She paused, letting the words and the obvious threat sink in before continuing again, "Mock-NEWTs will be held around the middle of the school year to give you a realistic idea of what you should get in the real exam. Now-"

"Aurors are sooo sexy," said a voice abruptly, cutting her off. The entire class held their breath, turning to face the bold speaker as McGonagall's nostrils flared and her lips thinned.

"What did you say, Ms. Evans?" she snarled dangerously, bearing down on Lily who was looking horrified with herself, she opened her mouth to protest, but no one would know, for the words that came out were…

"Have you _seen_ the shade of blue Cornish pixies are? I mean, puh-lease! What an eyesore!" she babbled mindlessly, her look of shock completely countering the casual ignorance of her voice. "If I ever had one, I'd be sure to dye it, I mean, like, think how it would clash with my hair!"

Andrea was nodding in agreement at the colour scheme that she was talking about; when she suddenly realized that it was _not _normal for Lily to suddenly start talking about colour coordination with her hair in class. She poked Lily on the waist, but Lily didn't even glance at her, instead continuing to speak.

"Actually, I've been wondering, have you _ever _taken your hair out of that bun, McGonagall? Like when you sleep or have sex?"

The entire class's mouths were hanging open, except for three certain boys who were sitting at the back. Two who were clutching their stomachs from laughter while the other's mouth was twitching but mixed with a huge load of guilt. Andrea's large blue eyes were open to their full extent. Never, never in her life had she heard her best friend be so rude or thoughtless. Taylor on the other hand was glancing at the three boys and Lily in turn. She remembered the incident at breakfast, and being almost as good as Snape in Potions, she recognized Lily's symptoms as one who had just taken a dose of the Babbling Bile.

She shifted her accusing glare to Remus, who immediately glanced away, blushing and looking horrendously guilty. She turned back to Lily, desperately thinking of a way to get her out of trouble.

"-Is there any difference between stomach crunches and sit ups? I've always wondered. Anyway, d'you know how absolutely adorable I find house-elves? I mean, have you ever snogged one?"

Professor McGonagall was looking in amazement at Lily. "Ms. Evans! I -"

"You know, I've always thought that he was gorgeous. I've admired him since first year… and the way he walks! Oooh, the grace!" squealed Lily in a star struck tone. Lily fought to control her mouth, after she realized who she was talking about. "Every night I dream of him! In my fantasies I always think that he'll be my Romeo or Prince Charming, sweeping me off my feet! Coming on his shining silver horse or broom or whatever to give me eternal happiness in his beautiful castle! Yes! I can't contain myself any longer! I'm going to shout out to the world! **I LOVE RE-**" at this, she clamped her hands over her own mouth tightly to muffle the words, fortunately turning the name that she had screamed out into a bunch of unidentifiable sounds.

"Ms. Evans!" thundered Professor McGonagall, who believed that she was doing this on a dare of some sort. But since she was usually a model student, she was willing to let it go. "I command you to stop talking at once!"

"Not a chance, Minnie!" she chattered, both of her hands trying to control her mouth, but sadly failing. "By the way, have you gained weight? You look a little pudgy if you don't mind my saying so."

Professor McGonagall's mouth got even thinner than was thought possible.

Lily struggled to triumph over the liquid that had rendered her unable to say anything in her own defense, guessing the obvious cause of her current predicament, she focused all her will power and yelled, "JAMES POTTER – you are so not as well endowed as you make out to be," she continued dejectedly, the bile seizing control once again.

"Oy!"

"That is it, Ms. Evans! Detention tonight! 20 points for Gryffindor for your disgraceful behavior!" yelled Professor McGonagall, finally losing her already short temper.

Lily was shocked, her green eyes wide and tears welling up slightly at the corners while she said something about Buboter Pus. Even as she pushed her chair back and shoved her desk out of her way, sprinting out of the classroom, her loud cheerful voice could still be heard saying, "You know, you can always tell if a person has dyed his hair just by looking at the hair on his-"

The entire class was so silent from astonishment that you could hear a pin drop. Remus was looking extremely regretful and guilty. Even James and Sirius had the courtesy to be shocked at her reaction to their prank. Suddenly, Andrea stood up as well.

"Professor! I – I... um… I need to… Oh, what the hell! Crap! You already know where I'm going!" she yelled, charging out of the class and letting loose a string of foul words.

While she dashed off, Taylor scribbled the words 'I hope you're happy you bloody bastards!' on a piece of parchment, magically weighing it down and throwing it as hard as she could, successfully hitting Sirius right between his eyes and causing him to fall backwards before yelling that she was having feminine issues.

"This is going to be a long year," sighed McGonagall, rubbing her temples while watching Sirius pick himself off the floor with a lump forming on his forehead as most of the females remaining in her class helped him up, cooing over him.

……

Taylor found Andrea and Lily in the bathroom. Andrea was hugging her tightly while she stared with glassy eyes at a wall, not sobbing, just seeming blank and expressionless. The potion had obviously worn off.

"It was Potter and his gang," she said softly, announcing her presence. "They slipped a Babbling Bile into your pumpkin juice."

Andrea continued patting Lily on the head while mumbling curses under her breath, but Lily spoke with out any emotion except for a hint of suppressed rage, "Why do they have to keep doing this to me? Why can't they just leave me be?" she looked at them. "Do you know how badly I wanted to get into that class? I tried so hard. And they just… they embarrassed me so much on the first lesson…"

"Shh..." comforted Andrea, rocking Lily back and forth slightly. "We'll get back at those idiot Marauders if it's the last thing we do."

"That's right, Lily," said Taylor, feeling awkward. It would have been so much easier if Lily just cried, but the closest thing that Taylor had seen to crying was in the first year when Lily had red eyes. Whenever she was really hurt, most often because of James and the rest, she would just close up and stare at a wall with glassy eyes for over an hour, talking in a voice that was either emotionless or on the verge of tears, yet she failed to see her shed a tear. Not even once. "We will _not_ let that prat get away with this!"

Lily sniffed slightly, rubbing her eyes, probably trying to get rid of the moistness discreetly before smiling shakily. Then she stood up from the bench she was sitting on and clenched her fists, "I don't care how invincible people say the Marauders are! I'll make him feel as humiliated as he's been making me feel through all his stupid pranks if it's the last thing I do!"

"Wait a minute…" mumbled Andrea suddenly, an unusual glint in her eye. The other two glanced at each other, when Andrea looked like that; it meant that she had just had one of her rare and brilliant brainstorms. "When you mentioned embarrassment… I just remembered something…"

Identical sneaky grins lit their faces as she filled them in.

**A/N: So… er… what do you think? Comments anyone? (glances around nervously.) Anyway! I expect oodles of reviews! So keep 'em coming. I also wanted to know, would you guys prefer James to be a seeker or a chaser? I know that lots of people say that he's a Chaser, but in OOTP, he was playing with a snitch… and anyway, I like the idea of him being a seeker better… (giggles). Oh, and do you guys know how to put up those picture things on your Bio? 'Cause, see… I've got this hand drawn picture of a character for my other FFIX fic, and I don't know how to put it up.**

**Oh, I almost forgot! I'd like to make everyone's relationship and feelings towards each other a little clearer. Okay first, the girls to James.**

**JAMES**

**Lily**: Absolutely detests him ever since the first year for something he did to her. Had thinly tolerated Taylor and Andrea's relationship with him in the past.

**Andrea:** Used to go out with him in their sixth year because he pinned her one day on his road to conquest of all the pretty girls and attracted her by luring her into a broom closet and giving her a snog to remember. Broke up because Andrea didn't want a guy to get in the way of her and Lily's friendship, and because James didn't want to stuck with the same girl for too long, same went for Andrea. Hence, their relationship with him _could_ have ended quietly and happily had they not been unbearably stubborn. Ended up screaming and shouting at each other. Since then, they have been icy towards each other, but not with the same amount of loathing as Lily has to him. Only ends up planning to destroy him when he's hurt Lily.

**Taylor:** As stated above, went out with him in hope that he would change. Although he improved slightly, she gave up, seeing as they couldn't work out. In the end, they broke up peacefully, retaining their unstable relationship as Chaser and captain of the Quidditch team. The only time she wants to murder him is when he harms Lily, other than that; they could be called friends.

**SIRIUS**

**Lily:** Dated him mainly to annoy James, he was doing the same as both of them had a fight at that time. Broke up quite peacefully, but dislikes the way he joins in with James to annoy her. Finds him amusing at times.

**Andrea:** Hates him as he seems to take particular pleasure in annoying her to death.

**Taylor:** Relationship with him is fair. Works together with him as **(btw, do you want Sirius to be a Chaser or a Beater?) **they are both on the same Quidditch team. Finds him amusing at times as well.

**REMUS**

**Lily: **Thinks that he's the kindest of the Marauders, and of course has tiny, note the word tiny crush on him

**Andrea/ Taylor:** Fair.

**PETER**

**Lily/ Andrea/ Taylor: **Wonders what the heck he's doing with the Marauders. Finds him pitiful.


	4. How the Mighty Have Fallen

**Disclaimer: (sniffles) Harry Potter isn't mine… not now… not ever! WAAHHH! See what you've done? You made me cry! The only way to make me stop crying is by giving me lots and lots of reviews**!

"I'm telling you Jamesie! That girl has to have the biggest boobs in all of Hogwarts! I mean-"

James lay on his bed, staring at the canopy, desperately wishing that he had some other form of entertainment than Sirius's loud consistence details about his latest adventure with some Ravenclaw in a broom closet. _Hah,_ he thought, _Barely over a week into the school term and Chelsea Le'Fay was already history._

Remus was off in the library, doing some research for Flitwick's class. Peter had tagged along in hopes of getting some extra help for his essay. If James had known that Sirius was going to tell him every last tiny fact about his love life, he would have gone as well. _Should_ have gone in fact, while he succeeded in everything he tried, Charms alone seemed to be a small exception. Sure, he got grades that were above average, but he was still way behind the Charms Queen, Flitwick's favourite student –Lily Evans-. And if there was one thing James Potter hated, it was losing.

There I go again, he thought, feeling annoyed. He rolled over and grabbed the snitch from his bedside drawer to fiddle with it. This had to be the hundredth time today that I've thought about her. He tried to listen to what Sirius was saying in order to distract himself.

"-And I'm telling you, Prongs! That Claudia definitely knows how to use her tongue, she even-"

Alright… _that_ he did **not** want to hear. He then focused on drowning out Sirius's voice again. Ever since he had played that prank on her, he couldn't stop feeling unbearably guilty and uncomfortable at odd moments of the day, especially when he saw her. Well, when that happened she just walked right past him, with her friends often shooting them dirty looks. Remus wasn't much better, but he _had_ immediately apologized to Lily, practically crawling on his hands and knees in fact.

What pride that boy had.

The sad fact was that the method had worked. Instead of getting strangled and being hexed into oblivion like he himself certainly would have, he got a pat on the head and a small smile. Later, unknown to Lily, Remus had also been cornered in the common room by Taylor and Andrea, forced into a dark corner and threatened with a wand at his throat, that if he ever helped hurt Lily again, he would be thrown into the Forbidden Forest to try to live with the centaurs.

_Yay, Moony,_ thought James sourly. _He gets forgiven by her in a flash, while I'm stuck with the cold shoulder. I had no idea that she would take it so hard…_ His mind wandered back to that fateful day, how he saw her shocked face and her dashing out of the classroom. He remembered how her beautiful features contorted and the slight glisten in those vivid green eyes, hinting tears.

_Damn it!_ _I_ _shouldn't feel so concerned. I mean, it's not like I even care about her or anything! She got what she deserved!_ He argued with himself, frowning.

He suddenly became aware of the hand Sirius was waving frantically in front of his face while holding the Snitch that he had been catching and releasing in the other.

"Prongs? Prongsie? You're not listening are you?"

"Nope," he replied indifferently.

"You were thinking about a certain red head with a fiery temper who's been ignoring you while secretly plotting to kill you, weren't you?"

"Yep… I mean no! I mean ye- Hey! How did you know?"

"Any idiot can tell, Prongs," said Sirius with a smirk, tossing the Snitch back to him. "You've got that look on your face that says…" he trailed off after seeing James's poisonous glare, quickly recovering and saying. "I mean… um… what about her?"

"Dunno…" he answered, shrugging his shoulders and trying to appear casual. "Just wondering what she did from detention."

"Oh, I heard all about it," said Sirius, sitting on a chair and tilting it on its back legs. "It's not like I could help over hearing, anyway. She was screaming it so loud that half the school could hear her."

"What happened?" he couldn't help asking, feeling concerned.

"She's fuming, that's what! She had to clean every bathroom in the castle! Without magic! Can you imagine?"

"Actually, I can. I did do it in the 4th year, after all."

"_You_ sure seem concerned," observed Sirius with a slight frown. "I wouldn't be that relaxed if I were you, Prongs m'boy. Seems that she knows it was you who planned it, so she's personally seeking revenge on you, not the rest of us."

"Please. I am _James Potter_, Evans can't do anything to harm me, prank me or anything else relating to that matter," he replied, trying to sound bored and get rid of the uncomfortable flutter when he thought about her cleaning all of loos without magic because of his futile attempt to get her. "Besides, she won't want to do anything that'll risk her head girl badge."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," said Sirius to the ceiling. "You don't know Evans. When something makes her angry, she doesn't care about anything else. I found out about this when I went out with her, (here James managed to conceal a scowl.) and that she's very determined. And when she's determined, she can and _will _do anything."

"Whatever," snorted James, catching the Snitch. "It won't matter. She's just a girl. What can girls do?"

"If I were you, I wouldn't make comments like that in front of her or her friends either."

"May I ask why?"

"Let's just say that Amos Diggory almost became the Giant Squid's lunch."

"Padfoot, stop sounding smart and return to normal," snickered James, throwing the Snitch to him. "Believe me. I'm _not _going to be taken revenge on by a bunch of girls."

"If you say so, but just remember. I told you so!"

"What was that for?"

"When they actually _do_ do something, I want to make sure that you remember, how I, Sirius the Great, was as always, right."

"Yeah, right."

"Exactly!" Then his eyes lit up. "Oh! Did I tell you about Samantha? She has to have the fullest lips in the entire school! When she-"

"That's more like it," muttered James, once again tuning out Sirius's voice and forcing himself to stop thinking about the object of his affection.

……

(Meanwhile, in a certain girl's dorm…)

"Finally!" exclaimed Lily in relief, opening the window to let the owl in. "I thought that these would never arrive!"

"Hey, I think that we're lucky my house elf could even _find_ these," said Andrea, grabbing the package from her peacock owl and bouncing on her bed. " I am, after all, the mistress when it comes to hiding stuff."

"Whatever," said Taylor, rolling her eyes and grinning. "C'mon! It's been over a week since you told us about these! Let me see!"

"Alright," announced Andrea with flourish, sitting cross-legged on the bed, "Girls… Feast your eyes on James Potter's biggest mistake! Bringing someone like me when I was his girlfriend to meet his parents!"

"Oh my Lord…" gasped Lily, her eyes widening as they took in the sight before them. "Oh. My. Lord."

"Oh my Lord…" Taylor agreed.

Andrea on the other hand, snickered. "I almost forgot about these. I was planning on black mailing him one day."

Lily shuffled through the goods, smiling to herself before turning to her partners-in-crime, "Let's go over the plan once more… shall we?"

On that night, gales and gales of laughter could be heard from one of the seventh year girl's dormitories.

……

"Be quiet!" hissed Lily as they tiptoed across the empty common room. She jumped slightly as the dying embers of the fire crackled. It figured, at one o'clock in the morning, everything seemed scary.

"What's the point of this war paint?" grumbled Andrea, touching her face and grimacing when some green paint came off.

"Muggle tradition," she whispered. "Now be quiet!"

"I've read about it, and this is used when primitive enemies attack each other in the forest," argued Taylor. "_Not _when a bunch of girls are sneaking into a boy's dorm."

"Believe me, Tay," muttered Andrea, climbing up the stairs. "A forest will look much better compared to their dorm. I mean, look at James and Black! They are total slobs."

"Oh, like you're so neat yourself? Who was the one who dumped all the stuff in their entire trunk onto _my _bed?"

"Shh!" shushed Lily, "We're nearly there."

The three silent figures clad in various sorts of night wear made their way up the remainder of the stairs in peace. With Lily in the lead, they crept into their target's dorm. Taylor guarded the entrance, leaving him to Lily and Andrea's mercy. It was just like Andrea had said, school robes and boxers were scattered everywhere, hanging over lampshades, tables, chairs. Dungbombs and various other pranks were thrown around carelessly, making the girls take great care not to step on them lest they should set them off.

"Alright," she whispered, wrinkling her nose and kicking aside some underwear. "Find his bed."

Andrea nodded and the flitted around, examining the four snoring (loudly I might add.) boys.

"This one!" called Andrea quietly, gesturing to the one next to the window. Lily padded over softly to her friend.

"Look!" squealed Andrea happily, in a voice that would be far from soft just as Lily approached, holding up something on her hand. "More stuff to blackmail him with!"

"Shh!" hissed Lily, clamping her hand over her mouth, Andrea nodded but cheerfully stuffed in a pair of boxers with moving teddy bears and hearts into the small bag that she was carrying.

James turned over, grunting slightly at Andrea's outburst. They stared at him, Andrea diving under the bed immediately, but Lily froze, too scared to move. He shifted again, and thrust him arm out at Lily. Being the natural Quidditch player he was, he managed to grab Lily's forearm before she could dodge even though he was still asleep. She turned pale, afraid that if she so much as twitched, he would wake up and jinx her into next week.

She used her foot and kicked Andrea, who came crawling out from under the bed. Gesturing and pointing at James who now lay on his side and had both hands clutching Lily's arm possessively, muttering something about 'Mr. Schnuggles'. She ignored her, but looked extremely disgusted as she took the sock off her head and brushed the great clumps of dust off her bathrobe. After receiving another kick in the shins, Andrea nodded, lifted a hard cover book from the bedside table and crashed it onto James's head before Lily could stop her, rendering him unconscious. Lily winced, it reminded her of the crash when a fast moving train hit another train, echoing throughout the dorm.

"Huh?" mumbled Remus sleepily from the bed beside him, awoken by the sound of the noise. Lily frantically cast Sleeping Charms on him before turning to glare accusingly at Andrea.

"I couldn't resist," she mumbled sheepishly, but not looking too regretful. Lily let it go, not feeling to concerned for James's well being anyway.

"Honestly," she said, shaking her head when she saw that Sirius and Peter were still sleeping, their mouths wide open and sounding like an open drain. She cast the same charm on them, just in case, by some miracle, they should wake up.

Finally, she turned to their primary victim's sleeping form, the dim light from their wands showed the evil grin she had on her face as she examined him.

"Let's start with his clothes, shall we?" she whispered menacingly, flicking her wand and suspending his blanket in mid-air.

……

Half an hour later, the three figures could be seen creeping into the Great Hall, their wands raised and a rather small shape suspended above them. They floated him right over the four house tables, before returning the victim and his bed back to normal size. They put their wands down and stared at their handiwork, Andrea doubling over with laughter.

"Good job, girls," said Lily, patting Taylor on the back. "Part one of the operation is complete. Time for Part Two. The goods please, Agent A."

"Of course, Agent L," replied Andrea, digging into her bag and producing the package that they had received earlier that night.

"You have a question, Agent T?" asked Lily when Taylor raised her hand in the air.

"Yeah. Why are we not calling each other by our normal names?" she asked, giggling slightly.

"I dunno," Lily answered, shrugging her shoulders. "Doesn't it seem cooler to call each other by code names? Like real spies!"

"Spice?"

"No! Not flavoring! You know… like those women who go around it tight jumpsuits and pretending that they belong when actually their working for the enemy?"

"Oo- kay…" said Taylor uncertainly, looking at Andrea who looked just as confused.

"Fine," huffed Lily, seeing her obvious lack of enthusiasm, then she brightened up again. "I know! We can have more mysterious names! You can be Pineapple One! And you'll be Pineapple Two!"

"Erm… actually, Agent T sounds good, thanks anyway…"

"Alright, enough discussing," cut in Andrea before Lily could think of anymore weird ideas. "Part 3 of Get Revenge On The Bloody Idiot James Potter By Embarrassing Him In Front Of The Whole School will commence! Also known as Project GROTBIJPBEHIFOTWS!"

"Um… Andy – I mean, Agent A?" said Lily. "Why don't we think of a better name for this? Preferably one that we can pronounce without choking."

"Hmm… good idea. How about 'The Idiot Has-"

At last, Taylor's patience ran out, she whacked both of them on the head and dragged them towards the centre of the hall. "No more chat! Girls, we've got a long night ahead of us."

……

"Get up!" squealed Lily, shoving both of her friends out of bed, seeming bright and perky despite the fact that they only got back to the Gryffindor Tower at 4 in the morning. "Time to see the fruits of our labor!"

For once, Andrea and Taylor willingly managed to force themselves out of bed and trudge along to the Great Hall. As they walked down the corridors, they saw students gasping and laughing at the photos that they had pasted up, multiplied and enlarged the night before.

A bunch of girls were squealing over a photo of a fat baby James bawling his eyes out.

A photo of him when he was seven, crying because he had just wet his bed.

Another of when he was ten, wearing his mother's heels, her best dress robes, her hat with a stuffed vulture and mascara and lipstick smeared all over his face.

More recent pictures came to view, for example, James yelling as he hung awkwardly by one foot on a large tree right next to a bee hive.

Him sniffling over a sappy romance novel, his picture-self could clearly be seen rubbing his eyes.

Him sleeping while clutching a rather worn and tattered teddy bear tightly, which Lily now guessed to be Mr. Schnuggles.

And one that made the girls coo over the most, many trying to copy it onto their own books or pieces of parchment. James Potter in a bathtub wearing a rather flowery looking showering cap, playing with a bunch of yellow duckies and a toy ship, with lot of bubbles floating around him. He laughed happily as a one of the rubber ducks squirted soapy water at him.

"His parents are really nice and everything… but really!" commented Andrea when she finally stopped laughing and caught enough breath to speak. "Do you know that they were actually _proud_ of those? I mean, they were like, 'C'mon dear, let me show you that darling picture of Jamesie poo when he was seven!'"

"I don't know how you managed to get away with copying them off the albums," sighed Lily wonderingly, bursting out into giggles when she passed several boys staring at a small James running away and howling from a beetle.

"I have my ways," she said with a satisfied smile. Then, she glanced up when they entered the hall. "Look up, look down, look look around!" she laughed waving her finger and letting it point up to the bed hovering above the house tables.

Lily and Taylor joined the crowd in their laughter, but Andrea leapt up onto the Gryffindor table. She pointed to her own throat and whispered 'Sonorus'.

"Laydiiiieeeesss and Germs!" she yelled, her voice booming out throughout the hall like a cheesy commentator, but she paused to smile flirtatiously at the boys who let out wolf whistles. "If you would be so kind to turn you're attention to ten feet above the ground, smack in the middle of this hall, you will have the opportunity to see the one… the only… JAAAAMMESS POTTER!"

As if they were reading each other's minds, Lily lowered him slightly to ensure that their audience had a clear view of him. Not that they hadn't already noticed him as the there were large sparkling red and gold words floating around the bed in Lily's cursive hand writing that went "_Here lies our ickle Jamesie Wamesie, awww… isn't he cute?"_

Most likely due to the roar of snickering, howling and chuckling of the crowd, James finally arose from his state of unconsciousness with difficulty, probably because Andrea had knocked him out with his extremely thick, hard cover Potions book the night before. He opened his eyes blearily, gingerly touching the lump on his head where the blow had landed. It took him a while to gain his senses, after all, who wouldn't be slightly surprised to find themselves suspended on their beds in mid-air, floating above a large crowd of students who were howling with laughter?

"Holy crap!" he yelled when he realized that he wasn't dreaming.

He struggled to get up, instead ending up slipping and clutching one of his bed poles to hang on. The noise of the audience rose when they saw what he was wearing.

Instead of the boxers that he had fallen asleep in, he had a large white diaper on, the cloth kind that came in all sizes, held up by a big pin with a blue bunny on it. He also wore a rather small pink shirt that toddlers usually wore, on it were the words, "I'm my mommy's Pride and Joy", with a matching lurid pink bonnet and large ribbon on his head. In one hand, the girls had glued a huge rattle, which chose at that precise moment to yell out, "_Mummy! Baby had a little accident!" _

Lily, like most of the others, rested her head on the table and pounded her fist on it, nearly crying with laughter. Taylor wasn't much better, though her knees were weak and her stomach ached, she still found the strength to shoot up fireworks around him.

Andrea on the other hand, grabbed her instant camera and began to snap pictures, either to sell to his rabid fans or to blackmail him with.

Typical.

A few girls who were very loyal to James tried to slowly float him to the ground. Fortunately for him, Sirius, Remus and Peter burst into the Great Hall, their clothes rumpled and hair in a mess, obviously, they had run towards the source of commotion the moment they had discovered James missing. After several long moments of gawking and their jaws scraping the ground, they got over their astonishment and helped James to the ground, sending his bed floating back to the dormitory.

"Good lord… Prongs…" That was all Sirius uttered before he collapsed on the ground and joined Peter in rolling around with laughter.

"_Don't – say – a – word_," hissed James poisonously, wrapping a blanket around his form, not realizing that the girls had somewhat changed it's appearance as well, from it's original deep red colour to a childish baby blue with lot's of dancing red hearts as a pattern.

"Nice diaper," commented Remus, his face twitching uncontrollably while unsuccessfully trying to hide his smile.

"I can see that you're going to laugh," snarled James, seeing him looking like he was going to burst. "So laugh already!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" howled Remus, turning around and hammering his fist against the wall.

James glared at him before glancing behind him and seeing a certain red head smirking at him and waving her wand triumphantly, he then saw a larger than life image of himself still hanging in that embarrassing situation floating across the ceiling. Beneath it were the words in the same cursive hand writing just below the original words, "_Courtesy of the flower and her girls_".

……

"This – a – serious – situation!" growled James through gritted teeth at his audience who currently rolling on the beds, clutching their stomachs from laughter. "Don't you people get it! They've forever damaged the Marauder image! _We've been pranked_! Embarrassed for the first time!"

"Correction, Prongs," squeaked Peter, trying to catch his breath. "_You've_ been pranked."

He had stomped up to the dormitory (on his way seething as he saw the pictures.), changed into his regular school robes and burned the blanket. Now, he was trying to rally up his fellow Marauders into getting revenge on Evans and her friends, sadly, they didn't seem too interested.

"W-why d-didn't you … you ever show us those… those lovely pictures, Prongs?" laughed Remus, getting up and leaning against the desk for support.

"I told you so!" chortled Sirius, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Stop laughing, you lot!" he snapped, his face still a brilliant shade of red from embarrassment. He pulled three of them out the door by the collar of their robes. "You're going to help me tear down those pictures! And I'll make those girls pay! They'll regret the day they crossed James Potter!" he swore angrily.

……

"Awww… having a little trouble iddle Jamesie poo?" asked a very familiar, falsely sweet voice.

"Evans," snarled James, stopping trying to rip off his baby photo and turning to face her. She was carrying another stack of photos in her hands, with Andrea and Taylor behind her. "You have a lot of nerve! What the hell… I mean… get this – how- what? Crap!"

"Awww... is ickle Jamie James having trouble speaking? Seems like me when you slipped that Babbling Bile into my juice doesn't it?" cooed Lily, nudging him aside and charming several more pictures that Andrea had taken that morning onto the notice board.

"Evans," greeted Sirius, in a tone far different from James, seeming admiring and cautious at the same time, while trying to tear off a photo of James hugging and drooling over a cuddly bunny. "I'm surprised that you're not seeing Dumbledore."

"Should I, Black? There's no evidence saying that I did it," she replied evenly, ignoring James who was still spluttering from anger, apparently trying to control himself. "And if you must know, we charmed those so no one above the age of seventeen can see them, meaning that to the teachers and such, these merely look like harmless notices."

"Oh yeah?" challenged Peter shrilly, "Prove it."

At that perfect moment, Professor McGonagall walked, turning around and glancing at Sirius, who had one foot on the wall, trying to rip the picture, "5 points from Gryffindor, Black," she snapped, "for trying to tear off the Hogsmeade notice."

"Told you so, said Andrea triumphantly, the second she was ear shot, "And it's useless, Black. You can't tear those out."

"What do you mean?" he grunted, still trying to use his body weight to pry the stubborn piece of paper off.

"She's right, Padfoot," agreed Remus, who was examining the edges. "Looks like a slightly altered Permanent Sticking Charm to me."

"That's right," chipped in Taylor smugly. "Those'll only come off when we want them to. No one can force us."

"You _girls_," he spat out that word like it was dirty. "Have some nerve. You ought to be begging for my pardon and becoming my personal slaves if you had any brains! Take of these and start begging before I decide to make you sorry!"

Lily simply raised an eyebrow at him before getting both of them to help her stick up more pictures faster.

"_I mean it, Evans!"_ he whispered dangerously, bearing down on them. His arms were shaking from anger, surprising Lily, who didn't know that he would take it so badly. She guessed that it must've been a huge blow to his pride to be a victim of a prank that actually succeeded. "_Get on your knees and beg for my pardon!"_

"Not a chance, Potter," she said coldly, stopping her work to turn around and glare at him. "There is no way I'm ever apologizing to an idiot like you! And they'll stay right on those boards until _you _come apologizing to _me_! Being embarrassed will do you some good you... you arrogant prat! Because now you know how you're victims feel every time you pull those stupid pranks!"

"I'm telling you TO TAKE THESE OFF!" he roared, obviously not used to people not listening to him. She flinched inwardly at his harsh tone, but remained cool on the outside. Students were pausing to turn and stare. After all, a good conflict between two of the Marauders and whoever else was always interesting to watch.

"And I'm telling you _no,_" she repeated, letting a hard edge creep into her voice and forcing herself not to back away.

"You have no idea what a gigantic mistake you've made, Evans," he growled threateningly, stepping closer. "If I were you, I'd be crawling and sobbing for me not to start a full out prank war with you! You're just a girl, and you definitely don't want to risk this battle, because you can't possibly compete with the Marauders in this field."

"Well, then it's a good thing you're not me," she said disinterestedly before the sheer underestimation of his words registered in her head. She flared up and drew herself to her unimpressive full height. "Oh yeah? Well we can beat you bullying toerags any day, at anything and at anytime!"

"Don't make me laugh," he countered, matching her glare. "You can't even match our skills in this!"

"Lily, I think that you'd better just take the pictures off," suggested Remus wearily, also worried for Lily's safety.

"No!" she replied determinedly, refusing to glance at him. Already, Taylor and Andrea had drawn out their wands, preparing themselves to duel.

"You will pay for humiliating me, Evans!" he shouted. "Nobody has ever humiliated me before!"

"Well, there's a first time for everything," she replied sweetly, turning her back to him like she was going to leave. "I've told you before, Potter. You are not the King of Hogwarts. You're just an imbecile whose ego is the size of England!"

Apparently, she had pushed her luck too far, he grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and pushed her against the wall. Taylor and Andrea were held back by the other three, but Sirius asked quietly, "James, you're not going to hit her, are you? We don't hit girls."

James ignored him, so Lily closed her eyes and cringed, preparing to take the blow, but none came.

"Nobody _ever_ pranks the Marauders, Evans," he snarled, looking so angry that even Lily felt scared for a moment. "I just might forgive you if you grovel. **Now**. If not… _this – means –war!"_

Lily narrowed her eyes dangerously, about half the school was now gathered and silently watching the drama before them. She'd rather die than beg pardon, let alone _grovel _to that jerk! She used all her strength and shoved him out her way. She simply looked at him coolly and said, very coldly, "_Bring it on."_

She then stalked off, leaving a silenced awe in and a James Potter who was literally quivering with rage in her wake.

The decisions were made in both their minds. _May the battle begin._

**A/N**: Hi! So? What did you think? C'mon! What did you think? Frankly, I'm worried 'cause I'm not sure if either scene lived up to your expectations. You know… Lily's prank (at first, I was just planning for the pics, then I decided that it wasn't good enough, so I added a real baby in.) and the scene in the summary… Well.. you guys better review! Or I'll burst. Hey! Look! I think that I updated pretty quickly! You lot had better appreciate it! Oh, I almost forgot! If you guys have any idea for pranks, then please tell me, because I need all the pranks ideas I can get, of course I'll give you credit!


	5. Marauder's Revenge

**A/N: NEW! No big changes!**

**UPDATED: 19/02/05**

**Disclaimer: (sighs) I own not the great invention of which we bury ourselves within the amazing world of it all, this truly belongs to the one, the only, the supreme, the fantastic, Joanne Katherine Rowling! All hail to her might! (okay, I'll stop now.)**

"Men. This is a serious situation! Requiring your full and absolutely undivided attention!" snapped James, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back like a general. Sadly, instead of having lean straight backed soldiers standing in a nice neat line and doing their stiff salutes, he had three friends who were lolling about on beds and chairs, listening with half an ear and thinking with even less of a brain.

"Right…" responded Sirius automatically without thinking, (which, come to that, wasn't really unusual for him.) lying on his back and tossing a nut from the bowl at his side into his mouth, or at least, he tried to. "Ow," he muttered as the nut hit him in the eye.

"Gotcha," muttered Peter, feverishly scribbling and trying to finish up his Ancient runes homework. Remus on the other hand, just looked at him seriously, sitting on his bed without saying anything.

"Will you lot listen?" he grumbled irritably, running his hands through his hair in frustration. The past five hours ever since classes had ended had _not _been kind to him. They had wandered around the school halls, trying desperately to get rid of the pictures that seemed to be stuck everywhere they looked, unheeding Lily's smug assurances that they couldn't force the photos off. After coming back with nothing but a bunch of failed spells and bruised fingers, he was in a _very_ bad mood. Groups of students, particularly Slytherins who had been victims of their pranks, had taken great joy in making loud remarks and copying pictures to stick up in their Common Rooms.

Rumors had spread faster than chicken pox did in a kindergarten classroom. Everyone had a vague and extremely distorted idea of what was going on, but what all of them knew for sure was that Lily Evans and her friends were the first to successfully pull of a prank on the Marauder's captain, the great James Potter himself. Now, they were all about to face his wrath, and war would soon ensue. All day, girls had been going up to James and bitching about Lily Evans to him and telling him that he'd obviously win, trying to get on his good side, many saying that they still found him adorable in a diaper, and weren't those pictures sweet? Not that he needed to know that, he looked good in everything, after all, but that did not ease his wounded pride.

Not only that, the prank and additional photos had turned off many of his other fans who weren't quite so devoted, causing them to run off to Sirius's side, thereby making him lose points in his and his best friend's personal rivalry on girls. However, students who knew Lily well highly doubted that Hogwarts would survive, many patting James on the back and telling him that they would attend his funeral.

"Ow," mumbled Sirius again when another nut hit him on the forehead. Other than that, there was no response to his words.

"James," said Remus finally after a long expectant silence, broken only by scratches from Peter's quill and the occasional sound of a nut hitting either Sirius or his surroundings. He looked him in his eye and James winced, knowing that whenever a fellow Marauder used anther's birth given name in that sort of tone, it meant that they were seriously ticked off with said person. "You started this. _You _were the one poured the Babbling Bile into her juice, letting her make a complete idiot out of herself, _and _you _have_ been the one who's been pranking her for years now. Don't you think that your attitude just now was just a bit overboard?"

"Don't you get it, Moony?" he whined, trying to stop himself from feeling guilty at Remus's words. Even though it _was _true, he hadn't meant to be that harsh or rough. It was just that, whenever he was around Lily, he would have this odd habit of trying to impress her by showing off with the Snitch or blasting people apart, thus looking like a fool, causing her to blow up, which would usually cause him to blow up. Though he would rather drink undiluted Buboter Pus right now than admit that. "She's crossed the line! We've been unprankable since first year! And now… now… in our seventh year, the very year we're ruling this school, she just goes ahead and gives me the most embarrassing moment of my life!"

"It _was _one of the best pranks that I've ever seen," commented Sirius, transfiguring the nuts into cherries on the account that they'd probably hurt less. "You've got to give her credit for originality, Prongs."

"Where did Runes mostly originate from?" interrupted Peter. "C'mon guys! Help me out here… only two more inches to go!"

"Egypt, I think," said Remus thoughtfully.

"But I have to agree with you on one thing, Prongs," said Sirius, now tossing cherries into his mouth instead. "Her prank definitely damaged Marauder image. The sight of you in that diaper was hilarious!"

"_Thank you!"_ exclaimed James in relief. "Thank you!"

"What? For telling you that you looked hilarious in a diaper?" asked a very confused Peter, finally looking up from his parchment.

"No!" he replied, throwing a pillow at him. "Don't you see? We've got to get back at them! Like I said just now, we are herby at war with Evans and her friends. We won't stop until they come begging for mercy in front of the entire school!"

"You mean _if_ they come begging for mercy in front of the entire school," said Remus pessimistically.

"They will!" he insisted. "Stop being so negative! Now, for the first prank, I was thinking that we start off with something not too veteran. You know, give them a taste of what it's like to deal with us before we let 'em have the full course." (Conveniently forgetting to mention that he wanted her to give up before he did anything drastic to her.)

"SCORE!" yelled Sirius as a cherry had finally landed in his mouth. Then, he quaked under James's glare. "I mean… Um… sounds great! What were we talking about again?"

"Yeah, what did you have in mind, Prongs?" agreed Peter.

"Alright, it's easy, really," he began, grinning rakishly. "Moony, I need you to-"

"Forget it," interrupted Remus bluntly. "Sorry, Prongs. But Lily happens to be a friend. You saw what happened when I helped you with the Babbling Bile… I don't want that to happen again."

"I can't believe you begged, Moony. Where is your Marauder pride?" grumbled Sirius.

"You're telling me that you're staying neutral in this?" burst out James incredulously. "But- but … we need you! You're the mastermind behind our plans!"

"Prongs. Flattery will get you nowhere," he replied firmly. "I know that you can very well come up with a few of your own ideas, but I'll help you with the Slytherins as long as you give me your word that you won't use it in the war."

"Fine. Marauder's honor," he sighed, defeated, thinking that he may as well make the best of it.

"There's no such thing _as _a Marauder's honor."

"There is now."

"Alright. Stop. Quit bickering," cut in Sirius, coming back to reality at long last. "I don't care as long as you don't side the girls either."

"Okay, Padfoot… You'll be stationed at…"

……

"There! Done!" exclaimed Lily in relief, putting down her quill and starting to arrange her notes.

"It's about time, Lily," grumbled Andrea, turning over on her stomach on the Common Room couch by the fire.

"Exactly," agreed Taylor, putting down the book that she was reading while ignoring the whispers that traveled around them. "I don't see why you have to do all this extra credit, you're already at the top for most classes."

"The keyword being '_most'_ not 'all'," replied Lily, stretching and leaning back in her chair. "As long as I'm a point or two ahead of Potter in anything, it'll annoy him to no end."

"You got that right," said Andrea, grinning in a sinister manner that completely countered the angelic features of her face. "He won't be able to stand it when we win this war. He absolutely detests losing anything, and I mean _anything!_ Once, he lost in a game of Gobstones, and he sulked in his room for one whole day, refusing to come out!"

"You got that right, Andy," mumbled Taylor, throwing bits of parchment into the fire. "You two are lucky that you're not on the Quidditch team. I swear, sometimes that boy's a maniac."

"Hah! With Lily's fear of heights, she wouldn't even get off the ground!"

"Shut your trap!" said Lily, rolling her eyes and flushing at the mention of her phobia. She changed the subject quickly. "Okay, we're going to start as soon as possible. Tomorrow in History of Magic, we'll all be in the same class, and it's just before lunch. So…"

She laid out her entire plan, changing it from time to time after listening to suggestions from both of them. Finally, after the whole thing was planned out to the last minute detail, she jiggled her foot anxiously and asked, "So? What d'you think?"

"Brilliant," complimented Andrea, "Completely. positively and totally brilliant. Didn't know you had it in you, Lily!" she added with obvious pride, slapping Lily on the back.

"I've got to admit, Lily, it's good," said Taylor with a smile. But her brow creased into a worried frown, and she asked. "But this'll get us into trouble. I don't mind, but you're head Girl now. Don't you care about you're position?"

"I do…" answered Lily thoughtfully, "But Potter crossed the line. When he broke my clean record, I figured that my reputation's already tarnished, so a little more rust won't hurt, will it? And those stupid replies of his! A _girl!_ Ugh!"

"I get what you mean, Lily," said Taylor, she imitated him, "_You're just a girl…. You can't possibly match the Marauders in this field _blah blah blah! Hmph! What a male chauvinist pig! Don't you agree, Andy? Andy?"

"Oy! Andy! What's up with you?" asked Lily, waving a hand in front of her eyes.

"I've been thinking…" she answered slowly.

"Well that's a new one."

"Shut up," she replied absently, throwing a cushion at Lily. "The Marauders always leave a sign after every prank. You know… it'll be their name in fancy writing, or just a sparkly 'M' thing. Anyway, after every prank of ours, I think that we should just leave a symbol. That way, people'll know that we did it."

"You got my attention," said Lily, mulling it over. "A way to make sure we get credit, and our symbol will be better than their stupid old 'M'! Another way to one up Potter!"

"One tracked mind," muttered Taylor.

"Exactly!" she said. "The teacher's will suspect it's us anyway, so a little advertisement won't hurt. Remember this morning? When you shot up the words '_Courtesy of the Flower and her girls'_?"

"Sounds good," agreed Taylor. "We'll use a flower kind of signature. I mean, Lily, obviously," she said pointing at Lily, then to Andrea, "Andrea _Rose_. And me… well, I'm a Chinese, so my Chinese name is Lee Mei Hua, which basically means beautiful flower."

"Alright! I got it! Like this!" said Andrea starting to sketch on a spare bit of parchment.

"Umm… excuse me… Lily? Taylor?" asked someone uncertainly.

"What do you want, Remus?" replied Lily sharply, narrowing her eyes suspiciously, trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach.

"If you've come to spy, we'll hex you into next week!" threatened Taylor, picking up her wand.

Remus blushed and backed away slightly. "No! Nothing like that!" he protested, holding up his hands defensively. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm staying neutral during your feud with James… because both groups are friends… right?"

"Oh… I guess…" trailed off Lily, trying not to smile at how thoughtful he was, and to deflate the bubble of hope that was rising in her chest.

"Done!" said Andrea, startling the three of them. She had been so quiet and focused on her sketch that they had forgotten she was there. She held up her drawing, like all her other efforts, it was exquisite. On the left, there was a long stemmed rose with thorns and intricately drawn petals, on the right, was a morning glory, looking fresh and bright, and smack in the middle, seeming to float slightly above the other two flowers, was a lily. All the stems were woven together as though signifying unity; it would be easy to shoot up in a blaze of fireworks with the correct colours.

"What do you think?" asked Andrea, not even noticing that Remus was there, abruptly, she was brought down to earth. "Wait a second. What are _you _doing here?" she growled, narrowing her eyes just like Lily and quickly stuffing the parchment out of sight. "If you're spying, I'll hex you into next week!"

"Not again," he sighed, holding up his hands.

……

(The next day, in the Great Hall, slightly earlier than most students…)

"Ready Padfoot? Wormtail?" called James confidently, raising his wand and earning a few stares from early students. Remus was sitting silently, spreading jam on his toast.

Peter, who was standing near the door way gave him a thumbs up. Sirius, on the other hand was standing near James and examining the food with great interest.

"Mud cake! They have Super Fudge Triple Banana Chocolate On Chocolate Supreme Mud Cake!" shouted Sirius joyfully, launching himself at the pastry. "The house elves _never _make this!"

"Padfoot!" grunted James, holding onto the back of Sirius's robes, making him stop short of his destination with thrashing arms.

"Mud cake! I see you! My love! My passion! You're calling my name! Can't you here it, Prongs? It's saying Si-hiiiiii-rrrriiiiiuuuuussss! Siiiiirrrriiiiuuuussss! Come toooo meeeee…."

"Get back here, Sirius!" gasped James from the effort of yanking his robes back. "Come on! I need you to help me."

"But Prongs! Look! It even has bits of biscuits and whipped cream topped on it! Can you not see the sheer beauty of that cherry? The shape? The unearthly glisten? The sheen of the frosting! The absolute smoothness of the sauce! The-"

"Alright, alright!" he sighed, releasing Sirius and letting him gleefully bury his face into the cake. "Just… just make sure you're on guard, okay?"

"Mmf!" said Sirius, trying to form words, a chunk of chocolate from his mouth in a dangerous position.

"Never mind… just _don't open your mouth,_" he said, backing away in fear of having crumbs sprayed all over him.

People were already starting to mill in drowsily, but James couldn't see a head of fiery red hair in the crowd.

"Prongs," called Peter urgently from the doorway. "She's coming!"

She walked in calmly, many people turned to stare with yesterday's fight still fresh in their minds. Everyone knew about it, most of them had expected her to turn up with tentacles or three eyes or something. The moment she entered the Hall, she scanned the sea of heads and locked eyes with James, both of them having a childish staring contest, too stubborn to look away first. At last, Lily's eyes began to water and sting, so she blinked and looked away, ignoring the triumphant grin on James's face.

Before they sat down, they checked the chairs carefully and tested the food; all the while shooting death glares at the Marauders. When everything seemed to be in order, they sat down and began to eat. James nudged Sirius, who looked up very reluctantly from his comfortable position in his cake, chocolate and icing covering half his face.

"Fhat djyo voo vahnt, Vrongsh?" he asked with great difficulty, hitting James with bits off cake from his mouth.

"Swallow that and hurry!" he muttered, wanting to get on with the prank before they left. Beside him, Remus gave them a reproachful look, which James thoroughly ignored. "I need you to help me!"

At last, Sirius choked down the remaining food, took a long swig of pumpkin juice and wiped the chocolate off his face. "Alright mate," he said when he was done, missing a large smudge on his nose. "Ready?"

"Been ready," grumbled James, raising his wand discreetly. Both of them positioned their wands and fired.

Nothing happened.

Lily and her friends continued eating, but when the food tasted weird suddenly.

"D'you think that there's something wrong with the food?" she asked Taylor, trying not to pay attention to Andrea who was stuffing her face like there was no tomorrow.

"Yeah. Weird though, it was okay a moment ago," she observed, chewing on a bit of bacon.

"What d'you think, Liz?" she said to the perky blonde next to her, wondering whether she had to make a trip to the kitchens to have a talk with the house elves, she was the Head Girl after all.

"Tastes fine to me," answered Liz nonchalantly. Abruptly, her eyes widened and her small mouth dropped open. Her pupils kept enlarging in an effort to assure the brain that what the optical sensors were receiving were true until her gray iris was only a thin line, she looked like she had just been petrified.

"_Oh – my – gosh…_ Lily… I mean – how could you! I mean- umm… but- you… you! Oh… your-" she spluttered, eyeing the three of them in horror.

"What's wrong, Liz?" asked Lily in concern, looking around... Several students had begun to glance her way, looking away before suddenly doubling back an openly staring with their mouths agape. "Andrea, do you- GOOD LORD! WHAT HAPPENED?"

Andrea was wolfing down toast with liberal amounts of cream cheese like she always did. Today was no difference, except maybe for the tiny fact that her hair was purple.

A bright shiny violent shade of purple.

Now, it was steadily going down her face and to the rest of her body, before changing to violet, lavender, light blue, dark blue, cerulean, constantly melting into different shades of colours. Only then did it occur to Lily to look at herself, she rummaged through Andrea's bag and dug out the compact mirror that she knew was always there. She saw that her hair was a bright lurid green and flowing down to her body just like Andrea's. She turned to look at Taylor who was turning a rich of pink and magenta with a horrified expression.

All three of them realized what was happening and screamed.

Loudly.

Now, the entire hall was staring and pointing as they changed colours rapidly, occasionally gaining patterns like multicolored spots and stripes as well. People were beginning to laugh, and many who had been expecting something like this since the war was declared clapped and cheered, smacking the Marauders on the back. The only student who didn't look highly entertained by this was Remus, who looked at them with a half shocked half sad face, seeming quite torn. Even the teachers from the staff table were staring at them with their jaws scraping the ground. From the entrance, Peter shot up words in the form of a golden ribbon.

"_From the Marauders,_

_**THE REAL PRANKSTERS,**_

_Not a bunch of idiot **girls**."_

"Lily! _Do something! _My new dress robes won't match me anymore!" shrieked Andrea, turning a strange shade of puce with diagonal yellow lines streaking across her.

"Clothes! Is that all you can think of?" gasped Taylor incredulously, currently resembling a Dalmatian with chicken pox.

Lily opened her mouth to try to reverse the effect of the jinx, preferably on its originator. Then, she saw James give her a cocky grin and his hair anther rumple before he and Sirius raised their wands at the three of them. Lily fumbled with her own, but it was too late.

Suddenly, her leg jerked up and shining a rather fascinating shade of silver, she ran towards the teachers unable to even stop herself. Andrea leapt onto the table (now a rather pasty cream colour) began to sing in a loud, very off key redemption of "I'm a Little Teapot", while Taylor stood beside her miming the actions.

But Lily wasn't doing anything like that, instead, she had charged to the staff table, not in the slightest control of her body.

"Miss Evans! What's happening here?" yelled Professor McGonagall, gesturing towards the scene, where two rainbow girls were wreaking havoc in the hall, students in disarray and their Head Girl charging around like a maniac, flashing stars.

"Professor! I'm so sorry!" she gasped out, running towards her. "I can't do anything! It was Potter! I – AAAAAHHHHH!"

She screamed as she kicked the professor out of her chair, causing her to land in a lump on the ground. She then ran to Professor Flitwick and gave his chair an almighty kick, completely stubbing her toes but still able to make the little figure go flying across the hall and onto the Ravenclaw table where he managed to levitate himself before landing into a bowl of porridge. Next was the rather rotund Potions Master, Slughorn, not only did she throw him off his chair; she gave him several good blows while he was on the ground. She dreaded what would happen to her grades.

The entire hall was in chaos. Their usually prim, respected Head Girl was running around teachers with wind milling arms and kicking them off their seats, usually kicking more unpopular teachers in a few less than pleasant places as well, in particular, male teachers, all the while screeching apologies and glowing an interesting mustard colour with a checker pattern. Her two best friends -who were equally gaudy- were on the Gryffindor table, stepping on food as one sang a horrible childish and painfully high-pitched song while the other acted like… well, like a teapot. Students, especially three certain boys were howling with laughter.

"I'm so sorry, Professor! It's Potter, I tell you! It's-"

"-_here's my handle, and here's m_y-"

"Crap! Taylor! You just stomped on my bacon!"

"_-Spo-hooouuuuuuut!"_

"Miss Evans! What is the meaning of this? Miss Rose and Miss Lee! Get off the – ARGH!" And a resonating thump sounded when that particular professor landed across the hall.

Above them, beside the words that Peter had put up earlier on, was what seemed to be a score.

'_Marauders: 2_

_Idiot Girl Amateurs: 1_

_Obvious who the winner's gonna be, eh?'_

**(A/N This includes the Babbling Bile and all the earlier pranks, kay?)**

"-_A little teapot short and sta-hoooo-oouuuuuut!_ _He-"_

"Please forgive me, Professor! I really didn't mean to-"

"That'll teach you to mess with the Marauders!"

"For goodness' sake Taylor! Get your foot out of my porridge!"

Needless to say, breakfast was quite and eventful occasion that day, ending with the three girls being carted off to hospital wing, Andrea still singing strains of the song here and there and Lily still lashing out wildly. The Marauders, with the exception of Remus, received two weeks worth of detention. (Much to the delight of a certain Sirius Black whose idea of leaving a mark was getting the most detentions the school had ever seen.) They also lost their house 70 points, but 10 points were discreetly added by the Defense against the Dark Arts professor, who happened to be impressed by their curses.

**A/N: Erm… what d'you think? Oh good lord… I'm not sure whether this was up to your expectations or not… Well, if you're wondering why the heck it took me so long to update, this chapter was kinda hard to write. I'm not sure about the symbol of Lily and her friends, because I wanted them to leave behind a mark after every prank, so I just grabbed the only idea I had (that was suggested by _kit21_… Oh well… Gah! I never knew that it would be this difficult to describe everything! Oh, by the way, the part about Lily kicking the teachers? That idea came from Devina! Oh yeah, and the whole Taylor's Chinese name things, there are those kinda things, I mean, I have one myself.**

**EVERYBODY STOP FOR A FEW MOMENTS! In case you're wondering why I'm suddenly screeching like a deluded idiot, I want all of you to take a few seconds to remember Sirius Black. The mischievous, handsome devil he was, loved by all (well… maybe not all… everyone _did _think he was a murderer.) and doing so much for Harry. Let's pray that he'll play a great role in the fame of Harry Potter. To Sirius/ Padfoot/ Snuffles. (bows head.)**

**Oh yeah, I almost forgot. What do you think is up with the Bloody Baron? I think that probably the fact that they never mentioned how he got covered with blood is important, and the bartender in Hogs Head too.**

**Anyway, that's all for now! I still find long reviews exceedingly encouraging, and am still searching for suitable pranks! How long d'you think the prank war should go on? Through the ball during Christmas? Before? How many Chapters? Your opinion matters! Because, there's still a part of the story after the whole war.**

Well… REVIEW!


	6. Evans Gets Even

**RE-UPDATED: 19/02/05**

**Disclaimer: I own not one character from this fabulous creation… But… for whatever it's worth, the plot is mine! Mine, mine, mine! My preciousss… tricksy hobitsess. Alright, snapping out, I'm sulking because I'm supposed to be at a LOTR carnival right now, but I'm not, _am_ _I!_ Ignore, after all, I'm only totally and completely disappointed. No big deal.**

**Fine.** **I'm not going to be bitter just because I'm completely missing out on all the fun and merriment that everyone else is experiencing. I mean, why should I? Just because I'm stuck at home with absolutely nothing to do.**

**Oh, sod it.**

**I _am_ bitter. End of story. **

**Now I'll get on with the real one. **

"_Black – is - going – to - **pay**!"_ hissed Andrea venomously as they stomped out of the hospital wing.

Lily and Taylor glanced at each other, both of them trying to stifle their giggles. They had just been treated by Madam Pomfrey, who would have insisted that they stay in the hospital wing had it not been for their loud protests. After all, if they complied, they would have to postpone their chance for revenge. So, they had left somewhat cured, Lily had an urge to run over to every teacher she saw, but with her usual amazing amount of stubbornness, she resisted. Taylor's skin on the other hand would flash a different colour once or twice in several hours. Sadly, Andrea seemed –in her opinion- to have received the worst fate.

Her normally glossy raven hair that fell in stylishly loose ringlets had frizzed into a strange poofy looking ball with pink stripes. Courtesy of Liz, she had found out that it was Sirius who had been in charge of hexing her. If there was one thing a fashion addict, image conscious girl like Andrea couldn't stand, it was to have her hair affected in anyway not to her liking. Lily seriously pitied Sirius (no pun intended), while her best friend was usually carefree and easy going, a tiny thing like that could trigger her dangerous temper.

She glowered at a couple of second years who were staring avidly at the object of her embarrassment. If it weren't for the fact that she wanted to give Black hell, she would've clung to the hospital wing bed until her hair returned to normal.

After making a short stop in their dorm for supplies, they had gone to class slowly, mainly due to the fact that their bags were loaded. When they finally entered, they were already late. Fortunately, Lady Luck smiled down on them, or it could be that their classmates had guessed that they would want revenge and had done all they could to get out of their way. There were three seats available, one next to James, another behind him and one behind Sirius. Shooting evil glares that spoke volumes to the trio, they slipped in unnoticed by Professor Binns who was busy droning on about Dolath the Dirty.

Although they attracted many stares, (particularly because of Andrea) and a fair amount of snickers from the Marauders, they managed to control their urge to throttle them right then and there. Minutes later though, their arrival was forgotten when Binns's soporific voice began to sink in again. Already, Lily was beginning to feel drowsy. She counted herself lucky for not having to take any more notes as she had done faithfully till the fifth year. Then, she had gone out with Sirius, and after giving him a kiss that had left him breathless and in a strange state of mind (well… stranger than usual at any rate.), he gave her copies of the notes that the professor read from. The Marauders had gone through great pains to steal and copy them from him in their second year. Hence, the fact that she used that time to catch up on her beauty sleep.

Seeing Taylor nodding off and her own eyes drooping, she took out a plain notebook. The moment she grabbed it, two matching ones flew out of her friends' satchels. Andrea had given them those after she received two weeks worth of detention for bitching on Professor Slughorn –who normally would have loved her, had she not been so utterly dismal at Potions- during a note passing session. She had thrown the scrap of paper, sadly, it had fallen into Snape's cauldron, causing his Potion to explode and spelling out all the messages that had been written in haze smoky letters that smelled like rotten eggs high in the air, refusing to fade for two days. The notebooks allowed the other holder's to see what was being written on the paper, letting them have conversations without having to toss bits of parchment around.

**L: Good thing we have a double period. How long should we wait?**

_T: Mmm? _(The note book had just whacked her on the head for not paying attention to it.)

**L: We're having a note-passing session, duh.**

_T: Mmm… OW! _(It had just whacked her again for inadequate responses.)

**L: Pay attention!**

_T: Please let the whole class fall asleep soon! PLEASE! I **cannot** take this!_

**L: Andy? You there? I'm amazed, you look wide-awake.**

_T: Wait a second, how come the bloody book isn't hitting her for not reading! OY!_ (She had received another hit for insulting the book.)

**L: She gave us these books, what d'you expect?**

_**A: In case you haven't noticed, I've been boring hole into Black's back for the past 15 minutes!**_

_T: Andy, it's only your hair._

**L: You should _not_ have written that.**

**_A: Only my hair… _**(Right then, Andrea had stopped snarling at Sirius and was staring at the book in shock.) **_WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ONLY MY HAIR? Do you know how much care I put into it? Do you-_**

**L: This is your fault, Tay.**

_T: Please. Both of you put way too much emphasis on your appearances._

**L: Your idea of dressing up is putting on a clean robe.**

_**A- even know about my Sonia shampoo? It cost 10 galleons! Do you-**_

**L: Alright… Andy? **

_T: What's wrong with clean robes? And, too late… she's gone._

**L: Anyway, did you bring the supplies?**

_**A-Even care about the fact that-**_

_T: I've got an aching back to prove it. You know, most of this isn't even **my** stuff. It's yours and Andy's._

**L: Like you even have any?**

_**A- I spend at least three hours a day taking care of-**_

_T: Forget our argument and help me shut her up, she's gonna tear her book if she keeps writing so fast._

**L: Andrea… umm… (**She cast around for a way to distract her.) **Binns is looking at you.**

_T: He is?_

**L: Yes. He. Is.**

_T: Oh._

**_A-And conditioning! It needs a complete very intricate five step- what? Looking at me? _**(She glanced up just as Taylor had successfully thrown a ball of parchment through him, making it look like it came from her direction. So he was indeed looking at her.)

"Miss Rose? Did something just happen?" he asked rather blearily.

"No, Professor," she answered with an innocent look.

"As expected. Now in the year of 1753 the particular group of a close comrade of the goblin leader was-"

_**A: I can't believe he remembers my name! I knew it! He still hates me since third year!**_

**L: That was your own fault.**

_T: But the good point is that he remembers your name!_

_**A: Oh yeah? How good is that? He won't even let me sleep in class sometimes!**_

_T: It's your fault for being so tactless and blunt._

_**A: I was honest! I thought it was nice of me to point that out to him!**_

**L: Nice? Telling him 'OY! Professor! Have you noticed that you're dead?' is what you call nice?**

_**A: He floated in through the blackboard! Is it my fault that he scared me?**_

**L: Truthfully? Yes.**

_T: Break it up, girls. Time for the plan to begin, the entire class's asleep._

The three of them shut their books at the same time. It would be harder for Andrea to help due to the Professor's dislike of her, but she was a professional in the field which Lily only had a fraction of knowledge, and that Taylor completely lacked.

Ensuring that the entire class had indeed fallen asleep, Lily and Andrea crept towards the Marauders, leaving Taylor to cast Sleeping Charms on anyone who should wake up or to distract Professor Binns lest he should notice that the only pupil he remembered wasn't in her rightful seat.

Andrea was of course, in charge of Sirius, while Lily had James, whoever finished first could work on Peter. Andrea dragged her supplies out of her bag, box after box, case after case and tube after tube, until the entire floor around her was covered with stuff. Taking out her last silver safe, she poked her wand in for identification and let everything fold out. As if she had just activated some hidden switch, all the covers of the equipment surrounding her popped open in their respective manner, then another layer of shelves would rise, and another smaller one, and another and another… revealing…

Make up.

Rows and rows of different colours of Witch's Glow Facial, Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, the entire line of Shadowna's Eye Shadow, the newest collection of Rogue's Colour-Changing Lipstick, the whole range Desire's Mascara and basically, enough make-up to open a store with was brought to light. Beside her, Lily was already working away with her much more unimpressive pile.

Andrea smiled evilly to herself; flexing her fingers before letting her skilled hands dance over her equipment, picking out everything.

_This was going to be fun._

……

A good half hour later, Andrea was exhausted, the tips of her fingers were covered with powder, lip gloss, liquids, gels and residues every colour imaginable. But she couldn't have been more pleased with the effect of her work on her mortal enemy. Everything she had used was charmed to be water proof, adding several grooming charms of her own, making it virtually impossible to get rid off for days. Lily had already finished with both Peter and James and was now waiting for her inspection.

Adding a dabble here and a touch there, she nodded to show her satisfaction, Lily stuffed her hand in her mouth to muffle her laughter as she examined them. Then casting a Concealing Charm so that it looked like nothing had been done. But, when she got to Sirius, her jaw dropped and she clutched her side, doubling over while Andrea bowed to an unseen audience.

Taylor had been busy, casting Charms on anyone who snorted, running to the other side of the room asking the Professor questions whenever he seemed to glance their way and throwing a book through his stomach when he asked Andrea to give him the full account of the Vampire convention in the year of 1827.

Little did they know, that a pair of grey eyes flecked with blue was watching them intently.

……

"Prongs?" asked Remus tentatively. "Why don't we skip lunch? Go to the library?"

James and Sirius stopped their argument about Puddlemere United and turned to stare at Remus incredulously. Peter, who had been nodding in agreement to either one of them who asked for his opinion followed the suit.

"Umm… I guess that that means no?" he ventures hesitantly, backing away from the looks and quirked eyebrows he was receiving.

"Moony, you feeling okay?" questioned James, peering into his eyes in concern.

"Yes! That's right! I'm… err… sick," he said gratefully, faking a very unconvincing cough. "Need to go to the Hospital Wing right now. Eh- hack hack! Cough cough cough! Erm… cough?"

He added that doubtfully when Sirius's eyebrows rose a notch higher, he said, "Moony. You stink at lying. Are you hiding something from us?"

"Err… no…" he replied, wishing that he could tell them what was in store for them, yet not wanting to break his vow.

"Is it just me, or is there a lot of dust sticking to my face?" grumbled Peter, scratching his cheek.

"Whatever. I'm too hungry to bother. Sorry, Moony ol' boy, but I'm starving!" declared James.

"To the Great Hall!" exclaimed Sirius dramatically, pointing one finger skywards, causing several girls near him to giggle and coo.

"He is mental," sighed James.

"Indeed he is!" yelled Sirius happily, linking arms with Remus and James, forcing them to skip with him to lunch.

……

"This is going to be _so_ sweet," whispered Andrea eagerly.

"You are an artist, Andy," praised Lily. "Make sure you do my makeup next time."

"I never knew that the technique of putting gunk on one's face could be so useful," mused Taylor.

"Useful! It's life!" argued Andrea.

"It is not," she replies firmly. "And neither is fashion."

"I can't believe you, Tay!" wailed Andrea. Then, she frowned and stopped. "No, wait. Actually I can believe you. The same way I could believe you the time you wore that hideous puke green robe with electric blue shoes and an orange headband. Honestly. I have _never _seen such-"

"Oh, please. It was just robes."

"Girls? We really should be getting ready," ventured Lily.

"Just robes? _Just robes!_ That's like saying that my new Nicola Anderson designer and totally original dress robes are just – just fancy pieces of cloth sewn together!"

"Girls?"

"Your new Nicola Anderson designer and totally original dress robes _are_ just fancy pieces of cloth sewn together."

"How could you!" she gasped. "_Lih-lee_!" screeched Andrea, looking like she was going to hyperventilate. "She just said that my new Nicola-"

"I know what she said, Andy," said Lily, trying to placate her. "Now, if you could just pay attention to me-"

"Taylor! Fashion is the universe!" barreled on Andrea heedlessly.

"It is not!"

"It is! Fashion is beauty. Beauty is nature. Nature is life. Life is being. Being is existence. Existence is the universe! Therefore, fashion is the universe!" she countered philosophically.

"Well that was deep," commented Taylor.

"Of course it was, did you notice how I used the word 'therefore'?"

"Alright! Both of you, break it up!" yelled Lily, unable to keep her temper anymore. She took a deep breath before continuing. "Potter and his gang have already sat down. We'll need split second timing for our hexes so they can't cure themselves, got it?"

"Don't worry, Lily, we won't screw up," assured Taylor.

"Tay, would you be a dear and leave Black to me?" asked Andrea with a smile that made them fear for his safety. "I've got a score to settle."

"Okay. On three. One, two, three!"

……

James was talking happily with Sirius about his flavor of the week, Marie somebody, when all of a sudden; they (excluding Remus.) shoved their chairs back and leapt on the table. The students quieted immediately, sensing that a good show awaited them. Professor McGonagall had already stood up to end whatever was about to begin, but Dumbledore stopped her, clasping his hands together and seeming quite amused.

Before the three of them knew what was happening, the concealing charm had been removed, giving everyone a clear view of the make up that had been applied earlier on. Next, they were twitching and jerking, being forced into… dance costumes?

The moment everyone saw what they were wearing, they burst into peals of laughter. The three of them would have attempted to change themselves back, had it not been for the fact that they were dancing too hard.

First was Peter, with two large coconut halves strapped across his chest, wearing a multi-colored grass skirt that ended above the knee, revealing his rather flabby form. Around his neck was a chain of tropical flowers and on his head was a bright red piece of cloth wrapping a rather tall pillar of fruits, including grapes, banana, apples and so on. His arms were swinging to the left and right, following the warm soothing music emitting from Taylor's wand. His hips swaying in what would have been a sensuous way had the picture not been so _wrong._ His make up was… creative, to say the least, with orangey rust colored lipstick, thick foundation, bright yellow eye shadow and blue powder smeared on his cheeks.

This was the result of an amateur make-up artist and a pureblood's trip to Hawaii while getting the hula dance mixed up with others.

James, who happened to be suffering at Lily's mercy, was not enjoying this. In a flaming frilly red dress with cap sleeves, a plunging neckline and many layers of skirts, he resembled a can-can girl, right down to those pointy red shoes. In his hair was a large red flower, speaking of which, Lily had seized the opportunity to do something about the hair that had irritated her so often. She had gelled the entire thing before adding many colorful tiny plastic clips to hold bit of his hair in tufts. (**A/N You know, the little plastic ones that are for kids… kinda round?)**

His cheeks were even redder than his dress from embarrassment, and from the thick layer of blush that Lily had added. Mascara had been smeared heavily on his eyes and flaming red lip-gloss on his lips, red and purple eye shadow completed the look. But what may have been most amusing was his dance. Clutching his skirt with both hands in order to lift it up, he did a series of high kicks in time with the lively music. They were so high that they resembled splits, leaving him gasping in pain after each one.

Last, was of course, the dashing Sirius Black. He was far by the best, though I'm sure that he wished he weren't for once. He was clad in a lurid pink tutu, clinging tightly to his non-existent curves, around his waist was a slightly darker sash, attached to a frilly, semi-transparent light pink skirt. Matching pink stockings covered his slightly hairy legs along with rather strappy satin ballerina slippers. His hair, too short to be pulled into a bun, was laced with miniscule flowers and a large tuft was pulled up in the center of his hair, decorated with a (you guessed it) large taffeta pink bow.

His lips were just as bright and even more ludicrous than his outfit, the shine of them making them appear rather pouty. The foundation on his face was so thick that it was to the point of cracking, covered by another layer of powder that made him seem very, very pale. Andrea had used her eyebrow pencil to arch his eyebrows dramatically, also trimming them so that they were ridiculously thin. She had gotten carried away with the eye shadow, giving him rainbow colored eye lids that flashed a different colour every few seconds, coordinating with the lipstick streaks drawn on his cheeks for effect. His eyelashes had been elongated with heavy midnight blue mascara.

Although many people were gaping at his appearance, a far larger percentage was breathless by his dance. There was the tinkly music of Swan Lake sounding from Andrea's wand; sadly, she seemed to have trouble in controlling him. He spent the first few seconds wobbling to and fro, jerking violently and tripping over his own feet before she finally got the hang of it. Clumsily, with his hands raised above his head, he spun consistently on one foot, knocking many dishes away with his other foot that was stuck out at a ninety-degree angle. With a flick of her wand, Andrea sent him twirling into the air, bounding over a dish of chicken. Unfortunately, her Charm skills left much to be desired. Abruptly, she lost control; Sirius began spinning madly, his pink skirt flying around him. He leapt into the air with a definite wobble before landing into a very painful looking split atop the mash potatoes that he had knocked over earlier on.

One of his eyes were half-closed, his mouth open and his face screwed up in agony. Strong though Quidditch players like James and Sirius were, they were far from flexible. James seemed to be in almost as much pain as Sirius was in.

At Sirius's tortured gasps, several teachers helped to lift him gingerly off the table, himself unable move his legs. Carrying a still high-kicking James and a swaying Peter to the hospital wing as well, Lily stopped the vigorous music that was being conducted and shot up their symbol in their respective colors, letting it hover magnificently over the Hall.

That alone would've been enough, however, Andrea decided to help add to the insult.

'_Hah, take that you stinking perverts!_

_Mumblers: 2_

_The obvious winners: 2_

_That'll teach you to mess with us you fu-'_

At that very moment, Professor McGonagall had wrestled the wand away from her, her sixth sense already warning her on the language that she was about to introduce to the first years.

Obviously, lunch ended just about as eventfully as breakfast, the three girls losing thirty house points, (Andrea losing another ten for rudeness.) surprisingly, Professor McGonagall was rather pleased at the way Lily had Transfigured James's school uniform, (compared to the way her work usually went, that was a miracle.) and had decided not to give them detention.

When the victims had made their return to class, they had fortunately stopped dancing and had changed into their robes. But thanks to the strength of Andrea's techniques and enchantments, the make up remained as clear as ever. All of them, this time including Remus were rather resentful on how she had gotten their name wrong. Not only that, James and Sirius, particularly the latter, seemed to have difficulty walking. Many a student saw them shaking their fists at the symbol that still floated around the hall, refusing to disappear until the day was over. In the week and a half that it took for the last traces of the prank to disappear from their faces, their social calendar with girls was completely empty.

Needless to say, the Marauders were out for revenge.

……

Pranks went flying throughout the months, their immeasurable creativity keeping the whole school entertained. They stopped for short periods of time; maybe there would be several days or a week entirely free of disturbance before they sprang back into action, ridding the school of any resemblance of peace. However, when the girls _did_ run out of ideas (though Lily refused to admit it.) they'd just wait until the Marauders did something to them, and then improvise on the original idea, turning it back on the originators. The Marauders on the other hand, were too proud to use anything but their own patented brand of mischief while the girls understood, if you want to win, sometimes you have to fight dirty. Many a morning would find either side with strange colored hair, eyes or body parts, even so, the Marauders now took great care not to mess with anything that had to do with Andrea's appearance, remembering the fury that had befallen Sirius. (His make up took two weeks to fade.)

There were Prefect meetings, of course, which turned out to be extremely tense for the leaders of both sides, forcing an exhausted Remus to stamp out bush fires that flared frequently during those times. The good thing for the both of them was that the teachers organized the Halloween Feast, allowing them to avoid awkward circumstances in which they'd have to cooperate. Not so fortunately, Christmas was coming up, and the Prefects had voted for a ball, which meant that the organizing fell upon the shoulders of the Head Boy and Girl.

Which basically meant working together.

Not bloody likely.

It was two weeks till Christmas that they had a meeting without the Prefects. Lily had to admit that she was beyond apprehensive about this meeting. She had no idea what to expect from him. Probably another prank, she thought wryly. Most likely due to the fact that she'd chosen that very day to counter the time he'd caused them to plunge into a pile of rotting fish. (The smell didn't wash away for days.)

In return, they had modified the trick. Not only did their opponents smell of dead fish, rotting eggs and other ghastly items which shall not be mentioned, Andrea had stumbled across an interesting hex, (DADA was about the only other subject besides Transfiguration that she was good in.) causing them to attract all sorts of animals, for example cats, rats, owls, mice, toads, spiders and a few more of Hagrid's pets. This resulted with their entire fan club keeping a good distance away from them. Last Lily had seen of them was when they were covered in droppings and running away from persistent owls and cats who had decided to try to get the rodents clinging on them.

Making her way up to the Head's Room with a grimace, she prepared herself for the worst, expecting undiluted Buboter pus to fall on her the moment she stepped in. Coming across the statue, she gave the password and entered. She knew the place fairly well, having been there a few times when Taylor had Quidditch practice and Andrea was off with some boy or other. If it weren't for the fact that James might have been there, she'd probably have gone there more often. The entire place was done in red and gold (each year differing depending on which house the heads belonged to.), there was a considerable snack bar, two bedrooms, a small but cozy common room and a bathroom almost as good as the Prefects'.

She walked in nervously, ducking through the entrance quickly lest something decided to fall on her. To her surprise, nothing happened. She frowned when she spotted James, she'd expected him to be late and swagger in at the last moment (if he wasn't being chased by delirious animals). Instead, he was just sitting on an armchair near the fire, looking blankly at a stack of papers on his lap. He started at the sound of her closing the door, staring at her strangely before coming back to his senses.

"Evans," was his typical way of greeting. "You're late."

"Potter," she replied, matching his tone. "You're early. Managed to run from the rodents while Black and Pettigrew distracted them?"

He ignored her comment, his mind going strangely empty as he stared at her. "To work then. We'll need to decide on food, music, decorations and a theme."

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed in false astonishment. "Is the great James Potter actually talking about work?"

"No need to say I'm great, Evans," he shot back, finding his tongue. "I already know I am."

"That is so like you," she said huffily, even though she knew that she had started it with the sarcastic comments. "We'll decide on the food first."

"No, the decorations are more important."

"No, the _food _is more important."

"Well, I say that the bloody decorations are more important! If not what, you're going to let everyone stand in a blank hall munching on chips?"

"And what would you do? Let everyone stand in a hugely decorated hall starving?"

"They wouldn't starve, they'd've had food earlier!"

This was obviously going to take a while.

……

(An hour later.)

"Green!"

"Red!"

"_Green!"_

"_Red!"_

"GREEN!"

"RED!"

"Oh for Merlin's sake! They're BOTH Christmas colors! Use both!" screamed a portrait of a rather serene looking witch, Caitlin the Calm, who right then was not looking quite so calm. In fact, she looked like she wanted to jump out of her picture and strangle the both of them.

They fell speechless, both never having been yelled by a picture before. "Both of you have been arguing for the past bloody hour, and haven't decided on a _single _thing! You will sit down right this instant and start to agree with one another! And then, you will get out of my room and go to bed!" she continued angrily.

There was another few moments of stunned silence before Lily spoke. "We are being yelled at by a picture."

"A picture that's supposed to be calm," stated James, his mouth twitching slightly.

For some unknown reason, they both found the situation extremely amusing. Maybe it was the tension in the room, or perhaps because it was already almost midnight. Whatever it may have been, Lily let out a slight giggle, covering her hand with her mouth. James joined in, doubling over and laughing loudly. That set Lily off immediately, before both of them knew it, they were clutching their sides and almost howling with laughter. Lily looked up, from her seat on the couch, not listening to Caitlin's furious questions ('What pray tell, do you find so amusing?'). She wiped her tears and smiled, meeting James's eyes. He noted rather hazily that that was the first time she had smiled at him. Abruptly, she was brought back down to earth, thinking, _What_ _the heck am I doing? Laughing with Potter!_

She sat up straighter and composed herself; James seeing her do so, did the same. There was a rather awkward silence hanging about in the room.

"How about if we just get the Prefects to vote on a theme, and then we decide on these?" she suggested hurriedly after a few tense seconds, wanting to get back before she turned loony. Laughing with Potter. Honestly.

"Alright," he said, looking surprised by how civil she was being.

"So… I guess that I'll just pack my things and go now…" she said, feeling awkward again. She bent over, gathering her stuff and putting them back neatly into her bag.

James's eyes were boring into her back. He looked at her silently as she scooped up her things, getting ready to go. "Actually… actually," he began hesitantly. "I wanted to propose something."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Look. If this is about the Quidditch theme, we are _not_ going to have brooms whizzing around everywhere and getting the teams into a fight," she said firmly.

"It's not about the Ball," he said, and then frowned. "Well I think that my idea was better than your stupid masquerade. That's so clichéd."

"What do you mean by clichéd? And if you think that mine was stupid, what about your idea of girls waving pompons around and dressing up as cheerleaders?" she snapped, staring to sound shrill.

"Oh yeah? Well at least it was better than-"

"_If you kids do **not** stop this argument right this instant_," hissed Caitlin from behind them, "_I'll get the statue to lock you in here for two days."_

They both quieted again. Lily huffed and was about to pick up her bag when she turned around and asked. "If it wasn't Ball related, then what were you going to say?"

"Well… well… I know that we've been at war this past couple of months," started James.

"Duh," she interrupted.

He gave her a glare before continuing. "You've probably been getting sick of always ending up in the hospital wing or losing, right?"

"Excuse me," she cut in again. "But if I recall, the score for both teams is even. I haven't lost, neither am I planning to, and may I add that I am rarely in the Hospital Wing without your company."

"Since when- I mean…" he paused, wondering why he was doing this. "Well I just thought that if you'd make a formal apology to the Marauders in front of the whole school, we'd let you off." He mumbled as quickly as he could, flushing for unknown reasons and fearing the look on her face.

Lily's eyes widened and she gritted her teeth, spluttering in indignation. "Why- y-you arrogant- you-"

"Come on Evans," he said before she could form proper sentences. "We know who's going to be the winner, why should you suffer first?"

While he stared at Lily who was steadily turning redder and redder from rage, he groaned inwardly, knowing he had presented the entire thing wrongly. It was all her fault really. Whenever she was around him, he'd have a huge urge to just show off and impress her. He'd always assumed it was just his male ego still trying to get her to go out with him, then drop her like a hot potato and go snog another girl. But, after being mercilessly tortured by her for the past few months, he had begun to develop a certain respect. She had stood up to him when no one else would, she had continued where others would have crumbled. True, he didn't like her any better, but he wanted the entire thing to stop before she got hurt too badly. He knew that he'd get carried away with the plans and get completely out of control soon, Sirius would influence him, and they might end up seriously hurting each other.

Sadly, that wasn't exactly the way he's made it sound like, was it?

She raised her hand and slapped him across the face. "You prick!" she snarled. "Just as I was beginning to think that you could be halfway decent sometimes, you act like a complete git! So! You think that I can't fight against your stupid pranks! Is that it? I'll show you James Thomas Potter! I'll win this war and shove it up your friggin' arse!"

She then stomped out of the room, leaving a very confused James Potter in her wake. He stood there for sometime, gingerly touching the red handprint that was already beginning to form before picking up his things and leaving silently.

"That poor boy," muttered the portrait. "He's hung up on her and he doesn't even know it."

**A/N: Well, I guess that that's the end of Chapter 6. I'm sorry if it really sucks, because right now, it is very late, and I just wrote out the last part without a draft 'cuz I was to darn lazy to write one out. **

**Anyway. It is beyond late now. I desperately need sleep!**

**See ya.**

**Remember! Reviews really matter**


	7. Of Shopping, Fights and Dances

**A/N: I put warning where there're large chunks of descriptions so you guys can skip it if you want to.**

**RE-UPDATED: 20/02/05**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. Have you realised how boring disclaimers are?**

**A/N: I'm sorry! I had this written out like straight after I updated, but my mom sent the computer to the shop even though it wasn't spoilt, and when it come back two weeks later, it had a great fat lock on it! For once, I couldn't break past it, so I had to subject myself to begging. Begging! My pride is seriously wounded, I'd advise you guys to give me lot's of reviews to soothe it.**

"Hogsmeade weekend! Shopping! Now! Ball! Wheeeee!" squealed a bright happy voice from someone who was bouncing happily on Lily's bed.

"Mmf," mumbled Lily. "As much as it may surprise you," she slurred hazily. "Your face is _so_ not the first thing I want to see in the morning…"

Though usually an early riser, working till 2 in the morning while arguing herself hoarse with a demented Head Boy was not her cup of tea. Besides, she still hadn't gotten a date to the Ball. Andrea continually reassured her that Snape probably hadn't gotten one either. For some reason, she did _not_ find that comforting.

It turned out that they hadn't even needed the Prefects to vote on a theme. The next morning, Dumbledore had announced that due to the increasingly low marks in Muggle Studies, (which was compulsory at the time, but students needn't take it for their OWLs and NEWTs if they didn't want to.) the theme would be a Muggle ball, with their dances and eveningwear. Though some of the students weren't thrilled with the idea, most of the girls were transports of delight as they looked up gowns while boys merely shrugged, thankful that they only had to rent suits.

In cooperation with this event, Gladrags Wizard Wear, Knuts for Fashion, Galleons of Style and numerous other boutiques in Hogsmeade had stocked up on Muggle clothing.

"I'm up…" groaned Lily blearily when Andrea started hitting her with a pillow. Still struggling, she headed to the bathroom and opened the cupboard under the sink to get her stuff. Lily rubbed her eyes several times and blinked to make sure that she wasn't hallucinating.

"Taylor?" she hissed, bending down while listening to Andrea jump around the room in excitement. "What the heck are you doing here?"

"Hiding!" she whispered back, still crouched in an awkward position at the corner of the cupboard. "You two are not dragging me out to buy a dress! Now, keep your voice down!"

"Oh, Tay-ay-ay-lor!" sang Andrea happily in a high-pitched voice.

"It isn't that bad," mumbled Lily, scrubbing her face with her sponge kit. "We'll only take about four hours."

"That is torture, Lily! Now if you don't mind, close the door. I'll come out when both of you are gone."

"Tay? Your Quaffle fell through the window, it's in the lake… and… Oh lord, is that the Giant Squid?"

"EEEE!" she screamed, scrambling out.

"I can't believe she fell for that one," muttered Lily to herself, brushing back her hair and ignoring Andrea's triumphant squeals.

……

"I don't wanna go!" wailed Taylor and hour later as the both of them dragged her towards Knuts for Fashion.

"You're going with Mark Rogers! Does the fact that he is a complete Quidditch hottie penetrate your mind at all?" answered Andrea resolutely. "Don't you care what you look like?"

"No."

"Well, you should!"

"I only agreed to go with him because we'd have something to talk about! Besides, I already have a dress!"

"You mean the brown one?" asked Lily, shooting Andrea a look.

"What about it?" she said suspiciously, watching the exchange.

"Oh, Taylor," said Andrea pulling a sad face, "Lily and I were admiring it, the cheapness of the material, the laughable quality, that horrendous colour! When suddenly, a huge gust of wind wrenched it out of our caring fingers. We ran! We chased! Trying desperately to catch hold of the hem, this, just so you know, was unraveling. To our dismay, it fell into the lake. Willing I was to ruin my new Bonneville robes just to save that pathetic piece of craftsmanship, then out of nowhere, a lightning bolt struck-"

"Alright, alright," she groaned. "The both of you hated it and threw it out of the window, right?"

"Kind of."

"Hated is such a strong word," replied Andrea. "More like strongly repulsed. Not to worry, I will personally pick and pay for a new one even if it takes _all_ day!"

"Joy."

They entered the shop, the little tinkle of a bell sounding. Immediately, an immaculately dressed witch rushed out to greet them, smiling widely.

"Ms Rose! What a pleasure it is to see you here again!" she gushed, ushering them to sit on several armchairs in a corner marked V.I.W. (Very Important Witches). "May I say how honored I am to serve you, allow me to get you an assistant!"

"Thank you Margaret," said Andrea with a gracious smile. "Now-"

"Of course, your drinks! Is the Butterbeer still in a flute glass, umbrella, and cherry and laced ever so slightly with vanilla? Ms Evans, yours is the same without the umbrella and cherry, I assume? And Ms…" she trailed of uncertainly. "I don't think I've seen you here before," she added in a rather disapproving tone.

"She's a good friend," answered Andrea pointedly. "You may have heard of her family, Lee is the name, very old money."

"Oh! Silly me!" she exclaimed, brightening up before scurrying off.

"What's with the treatment?" asked Taylor as they got up to look at the dresses.

Lilt gestured to the wall that was completely covered with pictures of Andrea wearing different robes. "She's been customer of the month for twelve consecutive months, four consecutive years. It's the same at all the boutiques."

Meanwhile, Andrea was already talking to a middle-aged woman whose eyelashes looked like spiders. "This piece is the absolute latest from France!" she was saying, holding up an elegant looking black gown with a low back. "And I must say that it would look wonderful on you!"

"Really?" she asked, looking thoughtful. "I'm not so sure, it seems to rather contrast the-"

"Now, Ms Rose," the assistant interrupted, flashing her a rather pained smile. "Pardon me for saying so, but while you may be an expert regarding witch wardrobes, I believe that I may be more experienced in the Muggle field. I did after all, graduate courses on fashion."

"Alright," she said agreeably, but Lily could tell that she was losing her temper. "I suppose this dress does have a rather fine stitching. Could it be a Vera Wang? Though I always thought that she was more popular in America. Or maybe a Gregoria?

"Well… err… actually…" she stuttered.

"I would say that this would definitely be the work of Jimmy Choos-"

"Exactly! It's Jimmy's. Obviously, I knew that all along!" she said triumphantly.

"As I was saying, it would be his work if it weren't for the fact that he only makes shoes," finished Andrea coldly. "However, I'm sure you know that I prefer natural fabrics."

"This is pure silk!"

"I disagree. If you were to look carefully here," said Andrea smoothly, holding the fabric up to the light, "You can see that the strands of material are slightly straighter than normal, indicating a slight mix of rayon. This, of course would definitely be the work of Gina."

"O-of course!" she answered, flushing furiously. "I –I know that! Erm… I have to attend to anther customer now… I'll leave you girls by yourselves."

"Amateur," she muttered, making sure that she was heard before turning to her friends who had been watching the exchange in amusement. "Taylor!" she barked like a drill sergeant. "You are obviously in need of help! Lily! Get to work!"

……

4 hours 29 minutes and 30 seconds later.

(According to Taylor.)

"Two thousand two hundred and twenty five bottles of Butterbeer on the wall, two thousand two hundred and twenty five! You take one down and pass it around, two thousand two hundred and twenty four bottles of Butterbeer on the wall!" sang Taylor tiredly, gulping down her 12th bottle of Butterbeer.

She had already picked out a dress (one that even Andrea couldn't protest to), so had Lily about half an hour ago. Sensing that Andrea would take a long time picking out her gown, they headed to the accessories department. If you're wondering how she managed to pick out things without knowing what her dress was supposed to be like, she basically just took everything that she thought would go well with every colour. She had then name dropped about all the goods there until the helpers felt inferior, giving them absurdly low prices for the things they wanted.

Now, they were back in another boutique, waiting for her. The difference between her and Lily was that Lily actually enjoyed what she considered torture, which was helping Andrea choose. She, on the other hand, was shriveling up from boredom.

Andrea swirled out of the dressing room in a strapless flaming red dress that hugged her figure. "So? What do you think?"

"This looks good," observed Lily critically. "But the turquoise one was better."

"Which turquoise one?"

"It looks exactly like the other sixty-two ones you tried," groaned Taylor. "Where was I? Oh, right. Two thousand two hundred and twenty four bottles of-"

"Actually, we'll need to go soon," said Lily, glancing at her watch. "Take your pick. But I still say you should go with the light blue one."

"Which light blue one?"

"-pass it around- how can she remember? There were at least twenty."

"Why don't you just pick the ones you like, buy them and choose at school?" Lily suggested.

"That would work," agreed Andrea thoughtfully.

"How many out of the sixty two have you marked possible?

"Let me see… I think about…" she frowned. "Sixty! That's right, sixty!"

"Oh good lord."

"Wait, I think I like the organza one, so make it sixty one.'

"You could always ask them to deliver, I mean, it'd only take about eight or nine trips to get it all."

"I wonder where I'd put them. Taylor, do you still want your closet?"

……

In the Three Broomsticks, the Marauders were sipping their Butterbeers, besieged by girls asking them to the Ball. Sirius and James waved them off, already having gotten dates while Remus merely shook his head before continuing to examine the diagram of the Slytherin Common Room that had been stolen from Filch's office.

"This is the life," announced Sirius. "Samantha Woods from Ravenclaw as a date and hundreds of others begging."

Peter collapsed on his chair in exhaustion. "I got Polly Pern to go with me," he gasped, wiping the sweat of his brow.

"That Hufflepuff?" asked James disapprovingly. "I think that you deserve more than that gossip. How 'bout you Moony? Who're you going with?"

"No one," he answered, drawing a cross on where he planned to drop the Dungbombs. "I don't feel like going."

"Why not?" wailed Sirius like it was the end of the world. "You've got to! Got to got to got to got to got to got to-"

"How long do you think he can go like that without pausing?" asked James with interest.

"-got to got to-"

"Dunno. Have you and Lily called a truce yet?" asked Remus hopefully. "Neither of you have wreaked havoc lately."

"Not a chance!" he huffed, pounding a fist on the table. "I'm as good as my word. We just stopped for a while because Dumbledore warned us that there can be no disasters till after the Ball."

"-Got to (gasp) g-got- They're giving free fudge at Honeydukes!" he yelled suddenly. "C'mon Wormtail!" he cried, grabbing Peter's arm and charging out the door.

"Come the dance Moony. It'll be great! The Marauders' last dance!"

"No thanks."

"I get it," whimpered James, putting on his most pathetic look. "You don't want to go because you think I can't organize a dance."

"No! It's not like that," said Remus, completely falling for his friend's usual act. He sighed and pushed back his hair, realising that he'd been had again. "Alright, if there's a tenth girl who asks me five days before the Ball, I'll go. On the condition that you're not allowed to play any pranks that may cause any disaster on that day."

"Make it a girl who got over eighty on Sirius's chart and we have a deal!"

"Fine. Just… don't blow up anything."

"Deal!"

"Let me see your fingers."

"Damn."

……

"I guess you think you're really smart, don't you?" hissed a 7th year Hufflepuff as Lily floated decorations across the ceiling.

"What are you talking about, Linda?" she asked tiredly.

"Being Head Girl just so you can have the opening dance with James!" she snarled. "Don't think I don't know your true motives, Evans."

"Please! Who do you think I am? You?" she demanded. "As for getting near Potter, let alone dancing-" Abruptly, she turned pale. "D-did you say d-_dance_?" she asked in a quavering voice.

"Obviously!" she said snottily, turning up her pert little nose. "What planet have you been on, Muggle-born? The Heads always have the open any ball with a dance. Didn't you come across it when you were sticking your nose in Hogwarts: A History?"

"Oh lord…" she whispered to herself, dropping a pile of streamers on a Perfect. "Umm… umm… the rest of you! Keep working!" she yelled shrilly before running out.

_How could I have forgotten_? She berated herself angrily. _I'm doomed! Doomed_! Ever since she was young, she had two left feet. Actually, saying that she had two left feet would be insulting to the left footers. She couldn't dance if her life depended on it. And the very thought of having to do so with Potter, in front of the entire school… it made her fell ill. _I_ _can't ask Andrea_, she thought frantically, _she's away visiting some aunt… God, she complained about that for weeks… or Taylor… she's been swamped with Quidditch practice. O my lord! Five days left! Only five days left and I don't even have a date!_

Suddenly, she stopped running and let her thoughts sink in. Then, she began running again, this time scrambling towards the hall. She'd have to find a sensitive, cute, quiet boy who wouldn't blurt out to the whole school that Lily Evans was about as graceful as a hippopotamus when it came to dancing. And who would be better than…

……

"Remus! Pass me that garland of holly!" yelled James. Remus lounged on his chair, tilting it back slightly and threw it to James.

"Why aren't you helping Prongsie?" asked Sirius, looking at his reflection in a bauble.

"Why aren't _you _helping Prongsie?" he shot back.

"I'm not a Prefect."

"I like seeing him work."

"Fair enough."

"Fair enough."

"Why isn't Wormtail helping Prongsie?" asked Sirius happily, now raising an eyebrow at his reflection.

"Because he isn't here," he answered patiently.

"Why isn't he here?"

"Because."

"Because what?"

"Because he didn't want to be here!"

"Why didn't he want to be here?"

"Because you're here!"

"Why-" started Sirius, then stopping as the remark sank in. "That's hurtful," he sniffed, turning large, sad eyes to Remus.

"Oy, why aren't either of you helping me!" called James irritably from the ladder.

"Why aren't you helping Prongsie?" they chorused after a slight pause.

"I _am_ Prongsie! I mean- don't call me… oh for goodness' sake. I give up."

"U-umm… Remus?" asked a blonde girl with curly hair that he knew vaguely as a Ravenclaw. "I'm Amanda Smith and I … I was hoping that you'd be my date for the dance."

Upon hearing this, James looked down excitedly. "Moony! That's the tenth girl! The tenth!"

"Oh, well. I guess-" began Remus, but was cut off immediately by Sirius.

"Halt," he said grandly, taking out a long scroll of parchment. "We must first check the chart of Sirius. Smith… Smith…" he muttered to himself, unfurling the parchment and letting it roll around the hall. "I'm sorry, but you only received a 75 on the chart." He answered at last.

"Padfoot, I don't think it matters," he sighed.

"But it does!" he whined. "I know about your deal! 80 points and above only! Don't you trust my point giving talent?"

"Point giving talent?" Remus echoed incredulously. "Of course n-"

Then he saw Sirius visibly wilting from exaggerated disappointment and pitiful-ness. Him, like the sucker he was, fell for it again.

"n- I do! Of course I do," he corrected himself, seeing his friend perk immediately. "Sorry Amanda."

"Fine!" she replied huffily, stalking off.

"Remus!" hollered Lily form the entrance, then sprinting over to where the three were working. "Remus," she repeated more calmly, gasping for air. "C-can I talk to you in private?"

"Ooh! In private! Lilykins is gonna give you a little something!" cheered Sirius, James stood motionless on the ladder, glaring at them.

"Shut up, Sirius," said three of snapped in unison.

"What you say to Remus, you can say to all of us, Evans," glowered James.

"Alright," she took a deep breath like she was bracing herself. "Will you go to the Ball with me?"

James fell off the ladder.

"Let us now check the chart of Sirius!" announced Sirius majestically, yet again unfurling his parchment.

"Huh?"

"Moony," said James quickly, getting up and looking very red. "You can't go with her! She can't have gotten over an 80 on that chart!"

"Aha!" exclaimed Sirius. "Evans, Lily. 92 points!"

"**What?"**

"Excuse me?"

Remus looked at the three of them. James was obviously jealous, though he'd rather die than admit it, Lily, confused, and Sirius… well, just Sirius. Come to think of it, this was probably a good opportunity to get James to admit he like Lily.

"Padfoot! Are you blind?"

"Sure, Lily, I'll go with you."

"**_What?"_**

"Thanks Remus," she said in relief. "I'd bring them to the Hospital Wing if I were you," she added before bending down and whispering into his ear. "Meet me outside the Common Room at midnight, I have a favor to ask."

She straightened and glared at James and Sirius who were leaning in as close as possible, before turning away and stalking off.

James couldn't get a single thing done after that.

……

Lily waited breathlessly for Remus to show up. Alright. If she were completely honest with herself, she'd admit that it wasn't just because he was good-looking and sweet. After all, there's nothing wrong with chasing a boy you sort of liked, right? Absolutely. She knew that he was a good dancer, because whenever she had a crush, she would go into full agent mode, digging up everything about that boy's past. She had found out that all the Marauders had had dance lessons since young, and had excelled in it. Well… except for Peter, but what did you expect?

Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her she pushed back her hair nervously and smiled brightly. "Remus? Is that you? Thank Merlin, I was afraid you weren't going-"

She stopped when the figure came in sight. James Potter was laden with food from the kitchens, and something silvery draped across his arm, Lily only got a glimpse of it before he stuffed it out of sight.

"Oh. It's you, Potter," she said, giving him her usual black stare.

"Thanks for the greeting, Evans," he replied, putting down his load of pastries. "What're you doing out so late, _Head Girl?"_

"None of your business, so sod off!" she snapped, losing her temper.

"It's something to do with Remus, I expect, from the way you kept calling out," he said, feeling something inside him burn, and his blood start to boil. "That's completely pathetic, Evans!"

"Look, Potter!" she snarled, surprised by how angry he looked. "Don't get you knickers in a twist over nothing! Quit sticking your nose into my life! And why, may I ask is it so pathetic?"

"Because… because…" he struggled to come up with a reason, but the fact that he was fuming at Remus over nothing was not helping. "Because you're acting like a little dog over a sympathy date!"

"Shut up, Potter!" she hissed, her voice rising in pitch and volume, obviously, he had struck a nerve. "I don't know what your problem is, or why you're acting even more like a prat than usual, but whatever it is, get – over – yourself!"

"What're you doing with Remus?" he asked viciously. "Have you gotten so completely desperate for a date that you're trying to get his pity?"

That definitely pushed her over the edge. Lily turned red, then white, then red all over again. She moved forward and slapped him with all the force she could muster. His head snapped back from pain and surprise.

"Potter," she said, sounding dangerously calm and walking close, causing him to back away. It amazed him how someone so petite could make him feel so threatened. "Do you know that you utterly ruined my life since I was fourteen?"

"I asked you out! Big deal! Lot's of girls would kill for that… that…" he trailed off as her face visible darkened. Maybe it would be a better idea for him if he kept his mouth shut, he decided.

"Exactly. You asked me out. And since I loathed you with my entire being, I refused. But, instead of acting as any normal person would have and backing down, you asked me again, and again, and again, and again!"

"What's wrong with that?" he asked, clueless and unable to maintain his silence any longer.

"You don't know?" she screeched, abandoning her calm demeanor. "_You honestly don't know?"_

James thought that it would a lot wiser not to answer.

"You do not get how completely annoying it is to be hissed, teased and physically and mentally threatened by your bloody fan club for three stinking years!" she yelled, not troubling to keep her voice down. "You, not to mention them, have made my life a living hell! Not only that, no boy, except Sirius -but he's obviously deluded- will ask me out because they are bloody scared of you! And do you remember what happens when they actually do ask?" she hissed, putting her face close to his.

"Err… no?" he fibbed, staring into her flashing emerald eyes.

"You threaten and scare the crap out of them until no one dares to ask me anymore!" she screamed. "All of this! All this torture! For what, may I ask? Just so you can have your stupid, Look-I-Won-All-The-Girls-In-Hogwarts title!"

"Look, it's not like that!" he blurted, surprising himself.

"Oh, I'm sure it's not, Potter!" she snarled. "You're just so keen on me that you play pranks on me, snog other girls before and after you ask me for a date and annoy me to death, right?"

"No! I mean yes! I – I mean no! I mean, I'm really sor-"

Just then, the portrait opened and Remus stepped out. "Sorry, Lily, I had a hard time getting away from Sirius and-" he stopped, staring at a fuming Lily and a cringing James, both red in the face, the latter having a flaming handprint rapidly forming on his left cheek. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No! You are most definitely not interrupting something because there will never ever, _ever_ be anything _to_ interrupt!" she shouted. "Come on, Remus!" she grabbed his arm and forcefully yanked him down the hallway.

James continued to stare at the spot where Lily had stood, a strange expression on his face.

……

Lily stormed down several staircases and passages, sending patrolling Prefects and several couples who were hiding in dark corners scurrying away. Halfway through, she met Mrs. Norris who gazed at her balefully before charging away when Lily screamed, "I'm on patrol, you stinking feline!"

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" asked Remus hopefully, a few minutes after Mrs. Norris had skittered off.

Lily paused, her chest heaving. "Sorry, Remus, I know that I'm in a foul mood," she apologized, turning around. "It's the usual, Potter annoys me, I yell, he yells and something blows up."

"I guessed as much," said Remus with a nod. "Mind telling me where we're going?"

"I'll tell you when we get there," said Lily, taking his hand and sprinting up another staircase.

Just as they were nearing a portrait of Barnabas the Barmy, Remus guessed where they were going.

"Room of Requirement?" he asked.

Lily smiled ruefully, "I should've known you Marauders would know about this. So… yeah. You'll know what I'm talking about when we get inside."

Lily walked past the bare patch of wall three times, concentrating hard. Just as the door popped into view, she stepped back and let Remus go through first. Then she turned around and pointed her wand at the seemingly empty hallway.

"Petrificus totalus," she whispered before starting in after Remus.

She was fairly sure she heard a thud, but it may have just been her imagination and her paranoid instinct. Yet, she had a right to be; after all, only a fool wouldn't recognize an Invisibility Cloak.

……

"Lily? I'm already here, and I don't know what the heck this is about."

Lily stood beside him, surveying the room with satisfaction. The floor was marbled and gleaming, above them was a glowing chandelier. It was completely clear except for a small table in the corner with a wizard radio and a stack of records.

"Well… the ball is in five days time, right?" began Lily hesitantly. Barely waiting for Remus to nod, she continued. "The Head Girl and Boy always have to do the opening dance and I'll have to dance with Potter!"

"No worried there," said Remus with a shrug. "James's a good dancer."

"That's the whole point!" wailed Lily piteously. "I can't dance!" She clapped her hands over her mouth as though she were afraid someone might've heard her.

"Oh… well, that's a problem."

"I know! That's why I need you to tell me how to do a few simple dance steps so I won't completely humiliate myself in front of the entire school!" said Lily anxiously. "Please? Please!"

"Alright Lily, don't worry," said Remus, smiling at her before gingerly removing her vice-like grip from his arm. "Well, we're well equipped," he added, surveying the room critically. "What do you know about dancing?"

"I know that a lot of people can't walk properly after they try to teach me."

"Ah," he said tactfully. "Why don't we try the waltz?" He walked over to the table. "I think these are the records of the Muggle Maniacs? They are the band you hired, right?"

The music started off on a soft beat. Remus walked over to her, smiling encouragingly and making her heart flutter. He held one of her hands gently in his and placed the other on his shoulder. He gazed into her eyes and whispered, "Follow my lead." Slowly, he led her across the room, herself trying not to turn into putty as she klutzily tried to copy his steps.

Minutes and hours melded together, but she took no notice. Remus winced from time to time when she stepped on his feet, but he never let it show for more than a second. She sighed happily, going through the various dances (the radio automatically changed songs.) and taking in his scent, growing more relaxed in his embrace. He pointed out her mistakes softly and never patronizingly, playing the song again and again until she got the idea. Suddenly, just as the ballroom dance ended, a song for the slow dance started.

Remus stared at her uncertainly, but she thought for only a moment, then pushing the doubts from her mind, she moved closer. She could feel him stiffen as their bodies met, but he relaxed again. He led her, swaying with the beat in the traditional circle shuffle. She didn't think of anything as she lay her head, closing her eyes and enjoying the moment.

_I could stay like this forever_, she thought hazily, going a little closer and loving the feel of her cheek on his broad shoulders. She didn't know how long they danced, but abruptly, the music stopped and the spell was over.

They broke apart, Remus looking insanely guilty while Lily's entire face was glowing red. There weren't butterflies in her stomach any more; there were a huge hive of bumblebees buzzing around.

"Err…" said Remus with nothing better to say, guilt written all over his face. He wondered what had come over him. No matter how much James denied that he liked Lily, (even if he didn't know it.) he knew that he truly felt something for her. And there he was, getting cozy with the girl his mate fancied! _Don't worry_, he assured himself, _Lily doesn't think of_ _me as anymore than a friend_. "…Why don't we meet again tomorrow?"

Lily looked up in surprise, disguising her delight, "You mean even after teaching me, you still dare to try again?" she asked jokingly, trying to make the conversation light.

"Believe me, Lily," said Remus, collapsing on a large beanbag that had just appeared. "You owe me a life time of foot massages for this. As your date and friend, I'd like to make sure that you don't embarrass yourself."

Lily laughed dropping onto another beanbag. "You've just insulted me and made me feel good at the same time," she said with a grin. "D'you think I'll be able to not crush my partner's feet during the dance?"

"D'you want the nice, I'm-going-to-give-you-hope-answer that you always read about in sappy novels, or the plain truth?"

"Give me the first one."

"Lily," said Remus earnestly, making her giggle. "You're such a talented and beautiful girl. With your determination and intelligence, I'm sure that if you just put your mind to it, you can do anything. In a few days time, I'll have you waltzing around this room like you've been doing it all your life!"

"That was pretty good," admitted Lily with a crooked smile. "Now give me the truth."

"I hope I get a really thick pair of boots for Christmas."

"Ha ha ha," she said dryly. "Thanks for having faith."

"I've got a tip for you," he added.

"What?"

"Wear a really long dress that cover up your feet, and don't dance with anyone but me."

"Can't get enough of me, eh?" teased Lily.

"Not really," he countered, smiling lopsidedly, making her blush again. "It's just that by that time, my feet will be so numb, I shouldn't be able to feel anything. That, and I highly doubt that any of the other guys have had my training."

She laughed again. After some light banter, the awkwardness was left behind. Soon, they went back, Lily feeling ridiculously happy at being closer to Remus and skipping happily back to her dorm. Remus limped behind her, rubbing his feet occasionally. Halfway through, he tripped and fell to the ground, thinking that it was his pain in his feet, he continued on. He simply hadn't noticed how particularly lumpy that bit of floor was.

**Authoress' Note: Don't you think it's cooler to be called 'authoress'? Feminism! Anywho, lord, this is a long chapter, Sorry I couldn't squeeze the ball in! I mean, just look at how much I've written already! I've got a new obsession! Jeremy Sumpter! He is sooo hot! I think I may start writing a Peter Pan fic soon! If there are any J.S fans out there, I'd be thrilled if you could recommend some of his fics to me! Besides the ones on my favorites list that is. I like light humorous ones with romance and drama and definitely a happy ending!**

**Well, I'm tired, so I'll just get on to thanking you guys for your amazing reviews!**

**Damn, sorry, I can't get to my review page! There's heavy traffic or something, so I'll just post this up.**

**One more thing, could the people who asked me e-mail them just put me on Author alert? See, it's times like this I can't e-mail you guys, so it'd be a lot easier.**


	8. The War Is Still On, Potter!

**RE-UPDATED: 20.02.05**

**Disclaimer: The day I own Harry Potter, is the day my form teacher does a lap dance for the class, which will be just about never.**

**A/N: I forgot to mention, the dancing with Remus idea came from a fantastic author, Indiangurl, who agreed to let me use it! Everyone, give her a round of applause! Oh, and don't forget to review! Do you know, I actually had to go and apologize to one of the most boring and cruel Geography teachers in the world to get my draft back? Just for writing in her horrendously boring class? What was I supposed to do? Sleep? (Which I tried to actually, until she yelled at me.) I command you to leave many reviews to soothe my battered ego!**

"There's Davy Gudgeon, of course," said Andrea aloud as she lay on her bed. "But he still has that bruise from the Whomping Willow."

"Mmm," said Taylor, contemplating whether she should jump out of the window.

"Mmm…" came Lily's much dreamier sigh.

"No, huh?" sighed Andrea, not noticing their lack of attention while she squinted at her several foot long list. "Alright, only 14 candidates left."

Taylor whacked her head against the bedpost despairingly.

"Mmm…"

"Andrea!" she wailed piteously. "We've been doing this since early morning! It's already three in the afternoon! Set me free!"

"Honestly, Taylor," she huffed. "The ball is tomorrow, I have to give them an answer. Don't you agree, Lily?"

"Mmm…"

"Lily! Agree with me!" begged Taylor. "Lih-lee! Lil… Lily? You there?" she asked uncertainly, waving a hand in front of her vaguely smiling face.

"Mmm…"

"What's wrong with her?" asked Andrea, staring at her while ticking a few names off her parchment with a quill.

"Dunno, I haven't seen either of you much lately," she said with a shrug. "Extra Quidditch practice, remember?"

"I was visiting the pathetic excuse I have for an aunt, with her frizzy hair and wrinkly skin, screaming at me very hour on the hour," growled Andrea, her face darkening further at every word. "As if I'm too dumb to know that I was forced to visit her just because the old hag's a spy for my mother! Just who does she think she is?" she yelled, standing up on her bed and getting into full rant mode. "Controlling every single-"

"Andrea, calm down," said Taylor soothingly, placing a hand on the seething girl's shoulder. "Chant, '_the grass is green… the sky is blue… the grass is green… the sky is blue…"_

"The grass is green… my dress is blue… my hair is black… mascara too… My eyeliner is-"

"Okay! Stop!" cut in Taylor frantically. "I did _not_ get you to chant just to hear you ramble on about make up!"

"Mmm…"

"It's not rambling!" replied Andrea indignantly. "It's a profession! Don't you agree, Lily?"

"Mmm…"

"It's hopeless," said Taylor, leaning close to Lily and seeing the blissful look in her large eyes. "Maybe it's got something to do with the Ball."

The word 'Ball' seemed to shake Lily out of her reverie. "Hi…" she murmured with another smile, as if just noticing that they were there. "The Ball is going to be wonderful," she finished happily before going back to her own little world.

Andrea and Taylor gave each other confused looks.

"Alright," said Taylor, clearing her throat. "I have just burned up the Transfiguration paper that you spent a month working on and plan to destroy Hogwarts before moving into the Statue of Liberty and becoming an axe murderer whereas Andrea will be going to Africa to join the Masai tribe and will never touch make up or designer robes again, instead spending the rest of her days chasing wildebeests."

"Mmm… good for you…"

……

Things were quite different with the Marauders.

For one thing, James Potter only came back at six in the morning one night when a house elf stumbled upon him. From then on, he'd been brooding a lot, sometimes seen to scowl at himself before muttering angrily under his breath.

Remus, on the other hand, needed daily doses of Murtlap essence to treat his sore feet. He disappeared every night, only returning, limping slowly, at about one in the morning. When asked where he went, he became strangely deaf and changed the subject.

Sirius and Peter… well… they were the same as ever. And it's not like you people actually _want_ to know what Sirius does in his spare time, do you?

James had given up trying to follow Lily and Remus every night. After he'd managed to dodge her curse the second time, when he tried to open the door, it was locked, and one that frequented the Room as much as him knew that it was sound proof. So, his imagination and polluted brain allowed him to believe that there was some raunchy affair going on between one of his best mated and the girl he… well… wasn't quite sure what he felt for. He wasn't even sure why he cared so much, he never used to mind if any of them met up with a girl late at night, but when he thought about Lily and Remus doing… doing… he didn't want to think about it too deeply, as he felt the need to go and throttle someone.

Remus had noticed that James was being unusually moody, but had assumed that it had something to do with the argument that he'd had with Lily the other night. His dance lessons with her were improving slightly, very slightly, true, but slightly nonetheless. Granted, she still stepped on his feet every few minutes (which was better) but she could _fake_ being able to dance fairly well.

With Remus in pain, and James fuming yet remorseful for the torture that he'd unknowingly inflicted upon Lily all those years, the Marauders were a rather confused group at the moment.

……

All three girls woke up screaming at the top of their lungs on Christmas morning.

If you happen to be wondering why, it could have been due to the tiny fact that their ceiling had abruptly decided to rain frogs, horned toads, beetles, worms, mice and basically every single creepy crawly that girls had been known to find repulsive.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" screeched Lily, running around in circles, waving frantically at a frog and a few millipedes that were sitting comfortably in her long hair.

"Eww! Ewwewweww! EEW!" shrieked Andrea, following Lily's suit and charging madly around the room. "Those idiots as going to pay! _Pay! Eww!"_

Taylor had skittered around like them for a while, but fortunately, she regained her senses faster. "Girls!" she yelled, banishing a few bugs out of the window. "Get a grip on yourselves! Just get rid of those… _things_!"

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" was their reply, scampering around the room before crashing into each other. They lay on the floor for a few seconds before jumping up and down, brushing insects off themselves.

Finally, after long minutes of wailing and hopping, they calmed down enough to help Taylor to get rid of the rest of the pests. All three of them took long showers before proceeding to rant about the Marauders before finally getting round to opening their Christmas presents.

……

Now, you didn't actually think that the girls would have let the Marauders get away with that, did you? Not that it took that 'present' of theirs to get them to do what they did. They had planned it all out earlier, as their enemies soon saw.

As usual, on Christmas morning, the four of them woke up bright and early to attack their gifts. James and Sirius got the most presents, naturally from various admirers. Soon, the sound of tearing off wrapping paper and chortles made itself heard as they wondered how the girls had reacted.

"What did you get again, Padfoot?" asked James, throwing a pile of pranks from Zonko into his already huge mountain.

"As unimaginative as usual," he replied casually, sorting out the robes that he'd been given, tossing another one into the hill at the side of his head according to colour.

"I wish that they'd come up with something more original," grumbled James, kicking aside a yellow robe.

"They seem to think that you like orange and yellow a lot," observed Peter, staring at largest piles.

"Actually, that's clementine," corrected Sirius.

"And beige," added James.

Remus and Peter stared at them.

"You pick these kind of things up when you get enough," explained Sirius with a shrug. "Open your presents, Moony. We can plan what to do with all the pranks."

Remus nodded before turning to his fairly sizable pile. His eye was caught by a flashing gold present, the words "Open me first!" were glowing bright red. He shrugged to himself before picking it up and tearing it open.

Inside was a red and gold umbrella, scented like vanilla. He stared at it in confusion and picked up the note inside the box, the words written in a cursive scrawl.

'_You know, I **so** didn't want to send you anything, but Lily made us feel guilty. I think this'll come in handy soon! Toodles!_

_P.S. Don't you think that the umbrella matches the wrapping paper? I got it for free when I spent more than 50 galleons at Scentsuos! I got this really great bottle of Irma perfume! You know, that colour- OY! (_A lot of scribbles here) _Fine, I'll end the stupid message. You just don't appreciate fashion, Taylor! Huh._

Below the message was a drawing of a rose and three flowers entwined together, which Remus had become accustomed to seeing by then. He looked at it in confusion, suspicion prickling at the back of his mind. He turned back to his presents. This time, a glittery purple parcel with a silver ribbon on the side was flashing '**Me** **next! Me next!**'.

Pushing aside his misgivings, he lifted the lid and found himself looking at… a Muggle gas mask? This time, he rummaged around the box before finding a note just like the other.

'_See? I had to help her pick out the colour for the box. She was going to choose this hideous shade of puce and grey. For goodness' sake! It hurt my eyes just looking at it! Not that **you're** much better. Are your socks finally matching today? You-_ (here, there was another load of scribbles and some ink marks, looking as though they'd been wrestling for the quill before the writing changed from slanting cursive to small and neat.) _Go away, Andrea. Sorry, Remus. I think this ought to be helpful soon. Keep it with you! And Merry Christmas!"_

At the right hand corner, the symbol was stamped below the sketch of a morning glory. By then, Remus had guessed what was going on. Almost immediately, the shiny red box with a green bow glowed. Before the words had even appeared, he had already undone the bow and opened it. Inside was a thick pair of boots, a strong scent of peach emitting from them. Remus's mouth twitched, he knew whom this was from.

'_Hey, Remus._ _This warning is the thanks for helping_ _me._ _The boots_ _ought to match your suit for the ball tonight. Anyway, be a smart little boy and pick up Andrea and Taylor's presents. Make sure you put the boots back in the box and bring them with you so that they don't get dirty. Now, go to a corner where you're sure you guys don't have any pranks, k? Use the gifts!_

_P.S. Help me tell your idiotic friends 'Merry Christmas' and to take a good long bath! They'll need it! By the way, you have about two minutes to get a move on. Cheers.'_

Beside the stamp, was (as expected) a drawing of a lily. Wisely, Remus did as the instructions on her note stated. He went to the corner next to his bed, (which was fairly neat compared to the rest of the room.) put on the gas mask and opened up the umbrella before crouching behind it, curling himself up into a tiny ball.

James was the first to notice his peculiar behavior. "Moony, what are you doing?"

"Lily told me to tell you that you guys'll need a bath after this. Oh, and Merry Christmas," he mumbled from behind his red and gold shield.

"Huh?"

3, 2, 1… Remus silently counted in his head.

BOOM.

Simultaneously, all the Dungbombs, Ever Bashing Boomerangs, Fanged Frisbees, nose biting teacups, Filibuster Fireworks, frogspawn and every item from the joke shop imaginable –thanks to their original collection and the gifts the groupies had given them- exploded. Even several that had yet to be opened burst out of their boxes and wrapping paper.

It was complete chaos in their room; the fireworks were bouncing off walls, narrowly hitting Peter. James had to dodge a teacup that was aiming for his face, accidentally landing into several Dungbombs that had just erupted. A fleet of boomerangs was chasing Sirius, just managing to avoid another Frisbee. Meanwhile, Remus could hear their shouts and yells as their own arsenal attacked them. He held his umbrella firmly against the remains of the bombs pelting against it. A few teacups bounced off its surface and he successfully deflected a firework.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened. When he had opened Andrea's present, a perfume like smell had escaped, floating around the room, then Taylor's had released a scentless vapor before Lily's had let the cinnamon fume out. As all the smells (obviously evaporated Potions) mingled together, reacting to each other, it had taken some time for them to fully set off the pranks, which had explained how Lily knew that it would take two minutes for him to escape.

Remus winced as the belching began. Apparently the Belch Pills were forcing themselves down their owners' throats. He could feel the thudding against his umbrella when the slug pellets were released, and the wet squelch as they hit the floor.

After about fifteen minutes, though it seemed like hours to all of them, the attacks stopped. Remus lowered his shield cautiously, taking in the wreckage. Like the room, his friends were covered in ash, slime, goo and mostly… dung.

Ah. So this was where the gas mask came in.

Remus sat Indian style in his corner (the only clean spot in the room.), closing his umbrella and shaking it to get rid of the remains of the fight on it. James twitched as he pulled himself up shakily, then stared at the rubber chicken in his hand, it seemed that he's taken a fake wand while trying to cast a Shield Charm. Sirius groaned and spat out some frogspawn while Peter remained unconscious.

Both of them turned to glare accusingly at Remus, who was still squeaky clean,

"Well… you did say you wanted something original," said Remus, somehow managing to look innocent through his gas mask.

……

Lily grinned to herself; the odor emanating from the boy's dorm confirmed the success of their revenge. Sometimes it definitely paid to tie with Snape at Potions. Smiling contentedly, she put up the notice on the board like Andrea told her to.

' **_Your_** **_accessories don't match your dress for the Christmas Ball? Need advice on how to talk to your date? Don't know how to apply your make up just right?_**

_**NO NEED TO WORRY!**_

_**All your problems can be solved at the seventh year's girl's dorm on the right! There, you can have facials, spa treatment and hair teased beyond your imagination! All these services will be performed by professional Andrea Rose, helped by Lily Evans and Taylor Lee!**_

_**Opens from 11.00a.m -5.p.m**_

_**(Price list inside dorm.)'**_

Lily stepped back and headed to the dorm to help Andrea. She was frantically Transfiguring her bed into several large seats with their back rest pushed level with the basins behind them. On a shelf that looked suspiciously as though it had been Taylor's cabinet due to the carvings on the side, Lily began stocking their extensive line of hair care products.

By the time they were done redoing the dorm, girls were already milling outside, scribbling down the treatments that they wanted before handing them to Taylor who looked like she'd rather be helping Hagrid feed his new puppy. When Lily finished arranging the spare gowns, she stepped back to admire the hour's worth of effort in decorating their dorm. Now one would be able to tell that just that morning, slugs were crawling around, she mused proudly.

She had charmed the colour of the walls to white and gold to make the room appear larger. White organza curtains were swaying slightly in the cool breeze that they'd gotten the house elves to generate. In one corner, all the spare or used accessories and gowns were lined up. Every one of them was in excellent shape, being offered on rent, and if the price was right, sold.

In another corner was blocked by a rich gold velvet curtain that had been transfigured from a bed sheet. Behind it were two large armchairs and a table where Andrea was supposed to give advice to frantic girls. The second last corner was occupied by chairs that Andrea had been changing for facials and hair washes, and the other for haircuts. In the middle was Taylor, sitting at a desk marked 'Reception' (seeming bored out of her mind) near a waiting room.

The three girls were already rather used to this routine, though they'd never taken anything on such a large scale before. It was Andrea's idea; she was a born businesswoman and strangely set on making money. No one quite knew why as she was from a very wealthy family. All the stores she frequented even had an account for her that was linked to Gringotts so she didn't have to pay.

The rest of Lily's day was spent advising their customers on what colour helped their skin tone, persuading them to buy accessories, washing their hair and giving them facials. Andrea cut their hair, gave advice, applied make up and corrected the facials Lily gave.

Taylor withered at the front desk and took before and after pictures of the customers and stuck them outside to encourage more people. During the said opening to closing period of time, both the patrons were kept on their feet. Snippets of conversation could be heard.

"Lily! Get the avocado! Mary Jean has a pimple!"

"I just don't know what to say to Brad! Andrea? Are you listening?"

"Lily, I so don't think that that colour compliments my skin."

"Well, Marcy… it's not often that we meet such pasty… I mean _fair_ people."

"Aaah! A pimple! A horrid, horrid pimple!"

"Welcome to the Gryffindor 2nd 7th Girl's Dormitory, where services include haircuts facials, washes, sale and rental of gowns etc. Also including people who enjoy tormenting their friend by forcing her to hang around with a bunch of ditzes-"

"Taylor!"

"Fine!"

"Are you sure that you're using Sonia Shampoo? Because I have very delicate hair."

"Who's the expert here? You or me?"

"Always the polite one aren't you?"

"What if Mark doesn't like me in pink? What if he prefers peach? O-or rosemary?"

"Oh for goodness sake, rosemary is pink."

"Pimple! Pimple pimple pimple pimple! Aah! The world is against me!"

"I don't think it's likely that Hades, the God of Death, will decide to seize you and make you his bride while you're dancing, Lindsey."

"Of course I have a gorgeous figure. I mean, everyone knows that I'm only the most popular girl in school. So, I want something showy, short and that'll add to my perfection."

"How 'bout a fertilizer bag?"

"What was that?"

"A five headed salamander riding on a Chinese Fireball will not decide to go on rampage while David is professing his eternal love to you."

After the long and exhausting afternoon, they made over a hundred Galleons, which was divided by three, and a resolution to never listen to Andrea's ideas again.

……

"Aah!"

"Haiyah!"

"Oof!"

"Andrea! Get out of there and help me!"

"Alright! Don't get your knickers in a twist!" she yelled from the bathroom. The door opened and a huge cloud of steam escaped. Out of the mist, she stepped out in a terry cloth bathrobe, her hair wrapped into a towel. She stopped when she saw Lily sitting on a struggling Taylor's lower back, but the latter wasn't on the Gryffindor Quidditch team for nothing. With a leap and a bound, she landed heroically beside Lily before calmly taking out her nail buffer.

"Argh!"

"Taylor Lee," she said, filing her nails while Lily dried off her own hair. "If you think for one second that you are going to escape with no make up, you are sadly mistaken."

"Why do you care how I look?"

"Two words. Date – Quidditch – Captain."

"Actually Andy, that's three," said Lily distractedly; trying to curl a lock of hair with her wand.

"Well, in my vocabulary, the last two are really just one word. By the way, beside Tay-who is obviously in need of dire help- d'you want my expertise for touching you up? I'm feeling generous."

Lily paused, staring at her pathetic attempt to crimp her hair. Normally, she wouldn't have paid that much importance to her looks, but tonight was different; tonight she was to go with… with…

"Surprisingly," she said slowly, "I might actually take up your offer. I'm sick of reading about those girls in romance novels who are beautiful without even trying. I want to be completely selfish and shallow tonight, only caring about how well my highlights go with my lip gloss."

"That's m' girl! See? I'm having a good influence on you!"

"I highly doubt it's good."

"Hello? Are either of you going to get off anytime soon?"

"Quit being a pessimist! Now… I'm thinking the eye shadow that I got from France, remember that one?"

"You mean by Avonlea?"

"No, by Blythe. The guy who started designing witch's robes before moving on to accessories and finally make up."

"You know, it's a really good thing that neither of you, each weighing about a hundred pounds, aren't just sitting on me idly chatting about stuff I really don't care about while completely ignoring me or anything."

"Oooh! He was in the Kirsten range last fall!"

"See? Told you I'm doing you some good."

"Andrea?"

"Yea?"

"Why have we moved about five feet from where we were minutes ago?"

The both of them turned to each other before catching sight of Taylor who was getting of her hands and knees and screaming, "She's getting away!"

……

(3 hours 15 minutes 37 seconds later.)

**Taylor**'**s log.**

**Am alive.**

**Am primped like Chinese Doll.**

**11 failed escape attempts.**

**Back hurts.**

_**Gee, I wonder why. It's not like I was sat on or anything.**_

**Back really, really hurts.**

**But I will survive!**

**Oh no.**

**Miniature toilet brush with black goop attacking eyelashes!**

**AAAAHHH!**

**End log.**

Many Beautifying Charms, make up boxes and clouds of hair spray later, the result of the toiling girls met up to even Andrea's standards. Taylor stood tensely, the muscles on her back knotted and corded, her legs slightly bent, coiled up like a spring, waiting for release as her tormentors circled her like hawks, their eyes scrutinizing every inch of her.

"One last thing," Andrea muttered, grabbing a beaded bracelet and transfiguring it. She handed it to Lily, who after examining it, slipped it onto Taylor's wrist.

"Perfect," said Lily with satisfaction, stepping back to admire their handiwork.

**(A/N: For people who do not like clothes descriptions, skip this part, you won't miss anything, but if you do want to know what my characters are wearing and more detail on what they look like, read normally.)**

Taylor stood before them clad in lavender. The dress was like a medieval princess's, long flared sleeves with a square cut neckline that revealed only a hint of cleavage (she had refused to have it any lower.), the waist was in a princess cut, letting the swooshy skirt fall slightly below her ankles. The bottom layer of the dress was a darker shade than the semi-transparent material covering it. She wore purple satin sandals with flat soles (Yelling that if they thought that falling flat on her face every five seconds was going to make her look good, they were sadly mistaken.) The neckline, hemline and sleeves were had patterns sewn in gold.

They had tried to her short, dark hair, which had stubbornly refused to change. ('My hair and I have an agreement,' she said sulkily. 'I let it do what it wants and it let's me do what I want!') A tad of purple eye shadow was on her lids along with Andrea's newest tube of extra-hold mascara made her deep brown eyes look larger and clear gloss filled out her rather thin lips. She had screeched when they tried to put on more. A delicate amethyst necklace encircled her throat; on her wrist was the corsage that Andrea had transfigured, the flowers being morning glories.

**(A/N: Check this paragraph.)**

The moment Andrea nodded, she flew out the dorm like she was being chased by a delirious herd of Hippogriffs, for fear that her tormentors would decide that her lip-gloss didn't match her shoes or something. She then gave a loud sniff, mumbling something about not having taste; she grabbed a wad of cotton wool and tapped it with her wand before passing it to Lily.

**(A/N: Skip this.)**

One had to say, Andrea was lacking in terms of well… sensibility and ability to make reasonable choices, she certainly knew her stuff when it came to dressing up. Lily's dress had been meticulously picked out at the store, and later redone by Andrea who had complained that green clashed with her hair. As a result, Lily was gowned in a strapless dress that hugged her curves enticingly, baring her white shoulders, showing just enough cleavage to let the probably aroused schoolmates wonder. The hemline that brushed the floor was a deep emerald sea green that sparkled with her every movement, fading steadily as it worked its way up her full, slightly billowing skirt until it became so white that it looked slightly glittery.

She wore elbow length gloves and was now trying to position her white shawl in the same graceful pose that Andrea was demonstrating. It wasn't meant to cover her shoulders, but to encircle her back by hanging on her arm joint, the material that fell below the crook of her arm was the same deep green as her dress. Her auburn hair, which had been painstakingly done into an elaborate bun with a few tendrils carefully curled to frame her face had strings of pearls weaved in and out of the layers of her tresses. A similar string decorated her throat. Her Roman-esque sandals were only two inches high; having decided that it was enough trouble to dance without having to walk on stilts.

Her make up was light, eye shadow that went with her eyes, mascara that lengthened her lashes; blush to help her pale skin and Andrea's latest tube of ruby lipstick. On her breast, just above the folds of her shawl, was the lily that had been handed to her.

**(A/N: Read the two lines below. Lily was just handed… well… a lily.)**

"You're really looking for a fight, aren't you, Andy?" she asked with a grin.

"I have no idea what you mean," she replied innocently.

One thing Lily knew for sure, and she wasn't too modest to admit it – they all looked ravishing… but Andrea… Andrea really stood out, and she had definitely meant to. She had stared at her large collection of gowns for days and days, and later bribed the staff at the various boutiques to not sell the other girls any of the dresses that she had bought. After finally picking one out, she had modified it as another precaution, and the result was nothing short of fantastically unique.

Instead of ball gowns or the latest dresses from France, a slinky oriental creation was produced. The collar was high, like a Chinese cheongsam, with cap sleeves and falling to her ankles with a slit along each side to mid thigh, showing off her toned, slender legs. The material was silky, ice blue with a bit of a pattern done in silver; matching heels that were about three inches high complemented her. Draped around her arms was a sapphire shawl like Lily's.

Her make up was a clash of eastern and western, unlike Taylor and Lily, she hadn't held back in the least. Blunting her numerous deep blue eyeliner pencils and emptying tubes of mascara, she had made her large eyes look slightly slanted and mysterious. Foundation was used to make her seem fairer in order to contrast with her deep red lipstick that accentuated her pouty lips and the rosy glow of her cheeks successfully making her high cheekbones stand out. Her normally wavy hair was straight and fell mid-way down her back. Along with her white gold sapphire necklace and earrings was a deep blue rose that she had gotten Lily to change colour for her stuck behind her ear.

The result: Something that was definitely able to make the hormonally controlled males go wild, and an obvious challenge to the Marauders.

**(A/N: Ok, start reading again.)**

"You know what I mean," said Lily with a smirk. "A lily, morning glory and a blue rose?"

"They just so happen to make good accessories," she replied, smiling to deepen the dimple on her right cheek.

"They do match don't they?" asked Lily, adjusting her flower. "How can you even walk around in those heels? They're bloody high."

"Haven't you heard? 'A woman who can wear the highest of heels can handle pressure, because all the weight is centered on her feet'," she answered. "These," she said, waving a hand at them and putting down her powdering brush, "are a good pair of shoes," before getting up and taking a few graceful steps.

"Figures that the only wise sayings you'd know would be related to fashion," joked Lily. Then she saw the slightly bitter look on Andrea's face as she stared at her feet and realised that she was taking a walk down the dark lane of her childhood. "Forget about it, Andy," she said softly, placing a comforting hand on her stiff shoulder. "You've proved enough times that you can handle all the pressure she threw at you."

"I wasn't thinking about that…" she muttered, her skill of lying abandoning her for once. "I was trying to remember who my date was."

"Thomas Pearson, 7th year Ravenclaw prefect and Chaser of their Quidditch team," said Lily, going along with her. "You told him to bring a bouquet of silver and blue flowers to match your dress, remember?"

"I did, didn't I?" she asked, snapping out of her stupor. "Ooh! Flowers for me!" she squealed, rushing out the door, leaving Lily to trail behind her.

……

The Great Hall was a thing of beauty. All around, snowflakes fell and mistletoe flew, looking for unwary couples to settle upon. Silvery mist swirled at their knees, icicles hung from the ceiling and the grand trees that circled the Hall; the floor had taken the shiny look of ice.

Lily walked in with Remus in complete bliss, drawing envious stares from both the male and female population, particularly a certain messy-haired Quidditch player. She grinned at Remus, waving at Taylor who was arguing with her date over some Porksie Play or other, before commenting, "I see you took my advice about the boots."

He smiled back at herm causing her stomach to do several somersaults. He was looking as gorgeous as ever, with his sandy hair swept back and grey blue eyes sparkling, and in a tuxedo! It could make any normal guy look good, but on Remus… Wow!

She then noticed that he was staring at something at the side of her. Turning around to look, she saw nothing. Catching sight of James who was scowling fiercely at her, draped around him was some Hufflepuff in a clingy red dress whose neckline was sliced to the navel, looking like she belonged on the magazine cover of 'Witch Weekly', he bent down to Lily and whispered, "Ready to make your debut with your fellow Head?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose," she said with a grimace. "I'm doing the waltz with him, right? What were the steps again?"

Seeing Remus leaning close to Lily like that and murmuring in her ear was making James's blood boil. When she had first walked into the Hall, his mouth had dropped open. He never knew that she could look so… exquisite. His eyes never left her. Inside him was a storm of feelings, mostly anger and demanding how he could possibly think of her in that way.

"Jamesie poo?" screeched his date, grating his nerves. "Are you listening to me?"

"Yes, Bonnie," he muttered through gritted teeth, seeing Lily laugh at something Remus said.

"It's Trisha."

"Whatever."

"Students!" called out Dumbledore from the makeshift stage. "Will the Head Boy and Girl kindly step up to the dance floor and take the opening dance? The rest, please seat yourselves, you may join in later. It would be wise to take advantage of that delectable buffet in front of you, I highly recommend the lemon meringue, although the chocolate mousse is quite-"

"Albus!"

"Alright, Minerva, don't worry. I now present, the Muggle Maniacs!"

Amid the whoops and cheers, the curtains opened and several people in Muggle clothing stepped out. Lily walked nervously towards James. She hadn't spoken to him since the night when she'd finally given him a piece of her mind, each busying themselves with the finishing touches of the Ball.

Apprehensively, she placed her hand on his shoulder and the other on his waist. He took up a similar position, his hazel eyes boring into her. She lifted her chin defiantly, but couldn't help noticing that he actually looked pretty good in a Muggle suit.

"Alright Evans?" he asked, more out of habit than anything, but also genuinely concerned at how afraid she looked, staring at her as she examined the floor.

"Shut up, Potter," she replied tersely, moving as the music began.

Surprisingly, he complied, but Lily was too scared to notice. She tried to match James's footsteps, finding that he was every bit as good a dancer as everyone had claimed. Pity Lily could hardly keep up with him.

Remus watched them both, not missing the way his best mate looked at Lily. Also not missing the way said mate was wincing every ten seconds. To observers, it would seem that she was doing fairly well. True, she stumbled a bit, but she _looked _like she was matching James's steps gracefully. Yet Remus knew all to well what her feet were doing, covered by the length of her dress.

"Evans!" James hissed as Lily's painfully hard heel came crashing down on his foot _again._ "Are you flattening my feet on purpose?"

"Believe what you want to believe," she mumbled irritably, too busy trying to focus on her footwork to come up with a better comeback.

James gazed at her; unable to stop himself from thinking how cute he looked when she was concentrating. He took a deep breath, telling himself to be a man. "Listen, Evans?"

"Mmm?"

"A-about the other night. (_wince(_"

"What night?" she snapped, barely noting how unusual it was for _the _James Potter to stutter. _Right, back, left, front, front, left._

"Th-the one where you yelled (_wince) _at me in the corridor."

"Oh, you mean when I finally let you know how you ruined my life?"

"W-well… yeah," he mumbled, reddening slightly. "I never realised how (_wince) _much I really made you suffer… a-and I guess (_wince) _that I just wanted to say that… that… I'm sor-"

"May I have this dance?" asked Remus pleasantly, with a twinkle in his eyes. Mistaking James's flushed face to be one of suppressed pain.

"Remus!" exclaimed Lily happily, immediately going to him, a smile lighting up her pretty features, causing James to fume for reasons unknown to himself.

"Jamesie? Come on! I want to dance!" whined the Hufflepuff.

"Fine, Tara."

"The name's Trisha."

"Whatever."

……

Remus's plan was simple, just keep dancing with him so that the many boys who asked for a dance had a good reason to be turned down, therefore having the bliss of how truly horrendous she was at it.

At least the boots were proving to be useful.

"Duck the mistletoe," he warned, swerving the both of them to the side, successfully avoiding the plant that would scream insistently until the couple beneath it kissed. After a few minutes, they took a break, Lily needing to remember the steps for the next song and Remus needing to sit down. Well, we obviously know why.

She searched the dance floor for her friends, Taylor was probably at the buffet table, still arguing over Quidditch, but Andrea was… dancing exuberantly smack in the center with Sirius Black? She frowned, remembering seeing her switching from boy to boy every five minutes, somehow or other, she ended up with Sirius who was doing the same thing. It was some song for a dance with a fast beat. The both of them were in their element, performing the steps flawlessly and at an amazing speed, drawing admiring and slightly lustful gazes from both sexes.

It took Lily a few more moments to realise that they were competing, both of them being competitive by nature. Their moves got more and more complicated, twirling and whirling, waiting impatiently for the other to slip so that he or she could laugh in their face before moving on. Sirius flipped her daringly over his arm, making her smile triumphantly when she landed firmly on her feet before twisting with him smoothly. All the lessons that she'd been bullied into were finally coming in handy.

"Remus?" she called softly, tearing her gaze away from them, pouring a cup of punch. It had seemed to be a better idea than Butterbeer. Her heart fluttered as he looked at her in concern. "I guess that I wanted to thank you. I mean, I highly doubt anyone else would've gone through so much torture just to teach me a few simple dances."

"Lily, it's no big deal," he said with a shrug, careful to hide the grimace caused by his throbbing feet. "Okay, maybe it is, but the fact is, you're a great person to hang out with. It's easy to see why James likes you so much."

She grinned like an idiot before his second sentence sank in. "I'm not blind, Remus," she said with a frown. "I'm just another prize to Potter. If he really liked me, he wouldn't annoy me like that."

"Granted, he isn't acting like the perfect gentleman," said Remus amiably. "But remember the beginning of fourth year?"

"You mean when he openly gawked at me on the train?" she asked pointedly, flushing as she remembered the incredulous stare he'd given her once flat chest.

"Alright… so it _was_ the development in your looks that had grabbed his attention," he agreed hastily. "But you weren't in the boy's dorm for the next few weeks."

"Thank Merlin."

"He began to notice your personality and wouldn't quit babbling about how amazing you were. It was always 'Lily this' and 'Lily that'," he continued, choosing to ignore that comment. "It wasn't just looks, Lily. He appreciated your spirit. Personally, I think it was the time you told him that you'd rather sleep with Snape than go out with a bullying git like him," he grinned slightly at the memory. "Remember the first time he tried to ask you out?"

**-Flashback**

"_I definitely saw Longbottom giving you the eyeball, Lily!" insisted Andrea, bounding along the Hall merrily._

"_Frank? Isn't he involved with Alice?" asked Taylor doubtfully._

"_Besides, he's in 7th year," said Lily, blushing as a 6th year Ravenclaw winked at her, not used to receiving so mush attention._

"_What both of you know about boys could fit on the head of a pin," she snorted. "He was definitely –Marauder alert-."_

_Lily glanced up apprehensively and saw the four boys walking up to them. Their leader, James Potter, was running a hand through his already messy hair._

_She really hated that._

_Instead of passing by the wary girls, they stopped directly in front of them, blocking their way._

"_What do you want?" Andrea snapped, glaring at Sirius._

"_A word with Lily," replied James._

_She looked at him in surprise._

"_I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me next Hogsmeade weekend," he said hopefully._

_Lily gaped at him before coming back to her senses with a snap. "Not a chance in the world, Potter!" she spat, enjoying the way his eyes widened and his jaw dropped open. _

_She turned to stalk away, then glanced back. "And don't call me Lily," she added. "That's what friends call me, **not** arrogant prats whom I hate."_

_They walked away; leaving the mighty James Potter turned down for the first time, his fellow Marauders already beginning to laugh._

**-End Flashback-**

"He was pretty polite," admitted Lily grudgingly. "But the last time he asked was 'Go out with me Evans, and I won't turn the Slytherin scum into newts'."

Remus sighed, "One thing you've got to understand, Lily, is that James is rather pampered. His parents are very well respected in the wizarding world, so he's used to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants."

"Gosh! Wow, ya think?"

Again, he ignored the sarcasm that was pooling at her feet. "After you refused him for the thirtieth time or so, you had already bashed up his pride and let a Hungarian Horntail do the cha-cha on it. Eventually, he managed to convince himself that you were just a trophy girl, that you were nothing special, that the fact that the one girl he really liked hated him didn't actually matter."

Lily remained silent, unable to think of a reply.

"I'm hoping that this'll help you understand why he acts that way," sighed Remus. "He scares off guys because he gets jealous very easily. He pranks you because he wants your attention, always hoping that someday, somehow, you'll change your mind, but never actually knowing how to do it. Despite the fact that he can be a quite an arrogant berk sometimes, he does care for you," he looked into her eyes seriously, leaning closer. Lily felt her heart beat quicken. "I ask you sincerely, Lily. Give him a chance. For all our sakes, end this silly war, and just give him a chance to prove that he's not as horrible as you think."

Lily gulped, he was looking at her so intensely… she was about to reply, not exactly sure what she was to say when suddenly they heard a tinny screaming above them. They both looked up simultaneously, to see… the mistletoe, hovering above them and its pitch and volume rising. Already, people were beginning to turn towards them. Lily groaned, wondering whether she had the courage to kiss those inviting lips of his. She turned back to him to find him still looking pleadingly at her, causing her to be on the verge of agreement when…

"Mind if I cut in?" James asked roughly, shoving Remus and taking Lily with him, letting Taylor, who he was dancing with for some reason, go with Remus. The mistletoe stopped shrieking as both pairs went off in separate directions. Confused for a few seconds before floating away to bless other people.

Lily looked despairingly at Remus, but surprisingly, he hadn't protested and was dancing quite happily.

"Well that was a cozy moment you were having with Remus," said James bitterly.

"What's it to you, Potter?" she replied on reflex, glancing up at him to see his angry hazel eyes. _He gets jealous very easily…_ echoed Remus's voice in her head.

"Never knew that you were that mad over him," he continued recklessly, avoiding Sirius who was spinning Andrea expertly. "Flouncing around and throwing yourself at him like that."

Alright, jealous or not, she was not going to take that lying down. "I don't flounce or throw myself at people, Potter!" she snarled. "And I'm certainly not the huge player you are, Mr. I-have-a-new-flavor-every-week."

"Oh? Like you're so much better?" he asked furiously. "At least I don't go around turning people down and hating them for no reason at all!"

Lily stopped dancing. "Excuse me?" she asked incredulously.

James knew that he was treading on dangerous ground and that his anger was making him talk like that, but he couldn't stop himself. "You told me that you loathed me, and I've done absolutely nothing to you to have deserved that! Before 4th year, I barely even knew you! I mean-"

He was cut off as Lily took the nearest large punch bowl and dumped the sticky pink liquid over him. She looked at him calmly radiating with suppressed fury as she said quietly, "All this time, I thought you just weren't big enough to apologize," she paused, the anger in her eyes almost making him want to take a step back. "Now, I understand that it just wasn't important enough for you to remember."

She turned to the sea of silent students; even the band had stopped playing. She searched until she spotted Remus, and yelled, "I'm sorry, but there is **no** freaking way I can try to do what you say!" she then turned to James, who was looking at her in astonishment and confusion. Then punch was running steadily down his face. "The war is still on, Potter," she snarled.

She ran out of the hall.

**A/N: Well? Well! WELL? What do you think! Come on! Lord, this chapter is really long, I spent effort on it! Anyway, hopefully, this'll explain to you why James keeps acting like a prat, he's not a complete jerk… just jealous. Well, we'll be going back to pranks soon, once I produce the next chapter. Sorry if you found the description of dresses and stuff sickening, but what can I say? I love clothes, I'm very particular about hat I wear and how well this colour goes with that, so I couldn't resist. Anywho, I hinted at a few things in this chappy! See if you can spot 'em!**

**Well, time to reply to those glorious reviews you guys gave! I might also reply to a few from chapter 6 as I was unable to do so before. By the way, the saying about shoes? That came from a Taiwanese series 'Love Storm'. And yes, I am a humungous Vic Zhou fan. Any funny comments and I might get so insulted that I'll delay chapter 9!**


	9. A Stepping Stone

**RE-UPDATED: 20/02/05**

**Disclaimer: Disclaimers are boring. So very boring. And painfully realistic. So very painful. Of which by now, all of you ought to know that I own nothing of Harry Potter.**

**A/N: Crap. Crap crap crap! If you happen to be wondering why the author is suddenly spurting cusses, it could be because I can't find my bloody draft. Damn, bloody freaking thing… where are you? I spent ages writing you! Grr… Sorry people… I can't type it up today (which is Sunday, April 18), I'll babble after I've finally found it.**

**(The next day.)**

**Hahahaha! Success! Have found stinking draft clipped between my file at school! Yay! On with the fic!**

"We shouldn't be doing this…" mumbled Lily, looking guilty as she squinted in the bright sunlight. A crisp wind was causing her long hair to fan out. "We did kinda promise her that we wouldn't do anything that would harm Gryffindor's chances…"

"Technically, we won't _be _actually harming Gryffindor's chances," rationalized Andrea, crunching snow under her designer boots. "Firstly because Hufflepuff's a pushover, even with Diggory, and secondly, because if everything goes as planned, the other team members should play just fine while everyone is staring."

"I know… but still…"

"Lily, give it up. No matter what you say, I can argue with you till you're blue in the face, and I'll still be able to make us seem completely innocent. We have to stay focused! Like an eagle at hunt, about to snatch a squirmy little rodent in its cold talons, with intense eyes and- Look! A fresh patch of snow! Let's make snow angels!"

"Andrea," said Lily tolerantly, tugging at the back of her robes to stop her from getting there. "Focus. Remember the eagle and squirmy rodent?"

"Huh?" she said blankly, turning large blue eyes to Lily. "Ooh! I like your jacket!" she called to 6th year Gryffindor.

"You have the attention span of a gnat," informed Lily.

"Thank you!" she said happily, then paused. "Why are we still dawdling about? Come on! To the pitch!"

"You were the one who-" said Lily indignantly, starting to protest, but giving up when she saw the figure already skipping ahead of her. "Yay," she sighed.

Smiling and waving at people they knew, they walked up the stands till Lily couldn't stand it. "Can't we sit here?" she asked with a definite quaver in her voice.

"Nope!" said Andrea cheerfully. "We need to be at the very top to get a good aim! Besides, less people there!"

"Fine," replied Lily, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths. "Just give me a few seconds to… to get up there."

"Okey-dokey, ra-vi-oli!"

(Many minutes later.)

"Lily? We're causing a jam."

"Oh, wait a second you lot!" she shouted at the crowd below her. "I'm going!"

"Lily? You do realize that to go up, you actually have to move?"

"Alright, alright, just another minute!"

"You said that ten bloody minutes ago!"

"Lily? Why are you just standing here?" asked a familiar voice. She snapped her eyes open to see a concerned face that made her stomach do gymnastics.

"Heya, Remus!"

"Hi, Andrea. Lily? Are you alright?" he asked.

"It's heights, her worst fear. She can't even stand on her bed without feeling dizzy."

"Shut it, Andrea," Lily muttered, flushing furiously. Remus _so _didn't need to know that.

"Come on," said Remus, grinning at her and taking hold of her hand. Lily turned and interesting shade of red. "Which row?"

"Top one! The very top toppity top!"

"Is she feeling okay?" he asked, pulling an unusually willing Lily along. "By the way, why are you sitting so high up if you don't like heights?"

"Huh?" asked Lily; unable to form a proper sentence as she was busy melting into a happy puddle.

"Because we need to support Taylor!" answered Andrea smoothly. "It's easier for her to how concerned we are for her from the top… and to… cheer. Go, Taylor go! Yea! Gryffindor rules! What are you staring at?" she snapped at the eyebrows that were raised in her direction.

"Oh… um… d'you mind if I sit with you guys? Peter's trying to catch up for NEWTs and stuff," he reddened slightly before looking hopefully at them.

"Erm… actually, I don't think that that's such a good idea…"

"Of course you can!" blurted out Lily enthusiastically.

"But Lily! The prank-"

"Andy? Aren't those lovely boots Isabelle's wearing?"

"Huh? Where? Ooh! That is so French! Loving the look, Izzy!"

"Sports fans of all houses! Professors! Witches and wizards! Welcome to the first game of the year between the two houses, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff!" boomed out Elizabeth Jordan's voice across the pitch. "Yes, an exiting day this is with a fantastic line up for each team! The Hufflepuff team has certainly improved, most likely due to their new captain, Amos Diggory!"

Professor McGonagall, who had previously been standing behind Elizabeth, prepared to wrench the microphone from her the moment she showed a hint of biased ness, relaxed.

"And here the come! Lohan, Turner, McPhearson, Bishop, Sanchez, Jones and Diggory! But, sadly! They fail to even compare to the Gryffindor team!" continued Lizzie brightly, inching cautiously away from McGonagall. "Johnson, Stuart, Bell, Lee, Black, Thomas and Potter! Look at that form, that grace, that style! See all of them, particularly a certain one in **black** and white!" she added suggestively. "Ah – Ah – Ah! I'll be good!"

"Alright then. The game has begun! Excellent formation by the Gryffindor Chasers. Lee with the Quaffle, coming to intercept is Diggory. Close, but no, passed to Johnson, Lee, Bell, Johnson and score! 10 – 0 to Gryffindor!"

"Now?" asked Andrea, poking Lily who seemed rather dazed sitting next to Remus.

"What? Oh… no, wait till Gryffindor's a few more points ahead."

"Beat those Bludgers, Sirius! Hahahaha! Did you see how that one almost broke Bishop's nose? Oh, that was goo- I mean… umm… really, really horrible. Easy, professor. Quaffle is currently with Diggory, Bell and Lee in pursuit, but he passes left, no that was a fake, right instead to Sanchez who drops it because… he sneezed. Eww, someone get the guy a tissue."

"Jordan!"

"What? Professor, if I wanted to be mean and painfully descriptive, I would've mentioned the greenish yellow mucus that he's wiping on his sleeve."

Professor McGonagall didn't reply as she was busy looking disgusted along with the rest of the female population.

"Okay, Quaffle now with Lee and sc- no… blocked by Jones, but caught by Bell who fakes and yes! Score! 20-0 to Gryffindor!"

"Quaffle now in possession of Hufflepuff Chaser Sanchez, speeding along the field, closely tailed by his fellow Chasers and Lee. He passes to Diggory just as he's about to sneeze. Lord… that's gross. I'm telling the truth, professor! Diggory passes to McPhearson, who shoots and… an amazing save by Thomas! Johnson takes the Quaffle, drops it as he ducks a Bludger, passed off to Bell, Lee, Bell… and Lee scores! 30-0 to Gryffindor!"

Andrea and Lily whooped and cheered loudly, moving away as discreetly as possible from Remus. Fortunately, it wasn't hard as he was hollering happily with the rest of the crowd, his eyes glued on the players.

"Alright, then," said Lily, "D'you want to count off, or should I?"

"You do it," answered Andrea, gripping her wand tightly and staring at the field grimly.

"Right, on the count of three. One, two, three!"

……

James had been circling round the field for the Snitch and feeling rather bored. He wondered vaguely whether he should try the Wronski Feint just to annoy the other Seeker. At least that would present some way to vent out his anger. As if he hadn't noticed Remus leading Lily up the steps, hand in hand, and then having the nerve to sit with her! At the very top bench! They did it just to flaunt it in front of him… Ooh, yes they did. He broke off his train of thoughts to scratch his arm, wondering when his uniform had become so itchy.

"Still no sign of the Snitch yet!" boomed Lizzie's bright voice. "Fantastic Bludger hit by Bl- bl- buh… buh…" Unbelievably, she fell silent, speechless along with the rest of the field.

James looked up from his search in confusion and frowned. Professor McGonagall was staring at them with her mouth open; Liz was gaping like a goldfish. Everyone in the stands was so quiet and still that a pin drop would've sounded like a crash. Only two figures were on the move, heading towards the commentator's box. He saw a flash of red. Suspicion prickling at the back of his mind, he scanned the players. Aside from the fact that they were like statues, the people dressed in red, yellow and pink seemed completely normal. Wait a second… _pink?_

Squinting in amazement at Sirius, who was doing the exact same thing to him, he saw him wearing a lurid pink frilly monstrosity. It had huge poofy sleeves and a billowing skirt that only reached his knees. Around the sleeves were wads and wads of itchy white lace, including an enormous lace collar with a ridiculous fuchsia ribbon. A gold bow twice its size was at the back of the dress. When the wind blew, his many velvet skirts lifted up, revealing even more lace and several layers of organza. Looking down at himself in horror, he saw the exact same thing, right up to the gold headband with frilly pink daisies and sown to the pink satin shoes with a large tacky sunflower and white stockings.

The silence was broken by Taylor's yell, "Lily Anne Evans and Andrea Persephone Rose! You bloody promised me you wouldn't do that!"

Then the laughter began. The stands erupted with peals of it, chortling and chuckling. The Hufflepuff players were howling, clutching their brooms and struggling to stay on. James felt is face heat up, as if being a bloody can-can girls wasn't bad enough? Those other house idiots were so busy guffawing that they didn't even notice… that his team had already gotten back into action and scored four goals.

"Don't call me that, Taylor!" yelled Andrea through the microphone. "And hello Quidditch fans! I'm afraid that Professor McGonagall and Elizabeth Jordan are currently unavailable as the former has taken the latter to the hospital wing. The dear couldn't stand the sight of her darling manly Sirius Black wearing, as all of you can see, a lovely pink taffeta frock designed by your very own, Andrea Rose! Thank you! Thank you very much!"

Andrea shut up for a moment when Lily hit her on the head.

"Fine, back to more pressing matters. If you would kindly tear your attention away from my dazzling models who are going drag, you would see that above the pitch, the very mark which shall tell you who was responsible for the fascinating display above you!"

There was an appreciative applause and more laughter as people saw the three entwined flowers, but a large percentage of the girls ere noted to look stormy and annoyed.

"Taylor, don't have a hernia!" continued Andrea happily, oblivious to the professors who were rushing towards the box to stop her. "You'll notice that we never actually broke our promise. We aren't really harming Gryffindor's chances, despite the fact that Black's bat is attacking its owner (Many turned to see Sirius hitting himself with his bat before frantically flying away, headband askew and the bat hot on his trail.), because as most of you have failed to notice, being occupied enjoying the entertainment provided, Gryffindor's leading 90-0! Hahahaha! See that, Hufflepuffs? Too busy laughing to even notice that the Gryffindor team was back in action. James Potter is going into a spectacular dive for the Snitch! Hahahaha! Oi! Potter! Your shoe fell off! I spent time and- AIEEEE! Help me, Lily! Help mee-ee-ee…e … Agh…"

James pulled up triumphantly fro his dive, but his joy slightly spoilt by the large sign hovering just above them.

"I apologize for the informal commentating by students who will certainly be receiving punishment," announced Madam Hooch dangerously, but not without a hint of laughter in her voice. "But Gryffindor win! 240-0! Now… umm… Mr. Potter, I believe that Mr. Black's bat has knocked him out. Kindly escort him to the Hospital Wing and change out of that ridiculous outfit. Thank you."

……

The fact that two of Hogwarts's females' most coveted male idols had been paraded around the Quidditch field, (one being chased by his own equipment.) in attire that a six year old wouldn't have been caught dead in would've been the talk of the school for weeks, had it not been for their determination to erase it from everyone's minds as soon as possible. Which explained why they were changing into their Animagi forms at the dead of night two days later.

"Carefully now," hissed James. With several pops, a magnificent white stag, large black dog and small rat were standing at the staircase to the Gryffindor Girl's 7th year dorms.

They trotted up the stairs carefully, the alarm not sounding as Godric Gryffindor had obviously not thought of the possibility that boys would be desperate enough to become Animagi just to get into the girl's dorms. Transforming back, James hurriedly grabbed Peter's shoulder to stop him from running in.

"Wait," he whispered. Months of getting mercilessly pranked by them had caused him to develop respect and caution when dealing with them. Nodding to Sirius, he raised his wand in a sweeping motion, letting white dust scatter over everything. Moments later, spots and shades of red appeared around the door way and the room.

Avoiding the patches of neon, they inched their way into the sleeping girls' room. Heading to different locations, they started to dig.

……

"Did the house elves finish washing my red rosebud underwear yet?" asked Andrea, frowning as she rifled through her drawer. "I wanted to wear them when I meet Clark Davies in the Astronomy Tower tonight."

"As much as it may amaze you, Andy, I don't really pay attention to your undergarments," said Lily dryly, rolling her eyes and pulling on her school robes.

"Besides, what does it matter what underwear you're wearing anyway?" added Taylor, lacing up her shoes.

"My poor Taylor," sighed Andrea. "So young, so naïve."

"I happen to be a month older than you!"

Arguing and bickering, they made their way to the hall. Seating themselves, they began to pile their plates with food. As usual, owls came soaring into the hall, making them glance up before continuing their argument about ruffles and frills. (Don't ask.)

"Don't you see? The right amount of ruffles just shout out 'Look at me world. I'm hot, feminine and fashionable'!"

"You were the one who always went for the sleek kind of outfits!"

"But if you read the latest issue of 'Witch Weekly' You'd know that ruffles are the new elegance."

"Now, see? If you put this much effort into the charms paper Flitwick gave us, you wouldn't be scribbling it at the last minute and getting detention."

"What Charms paper?"

"Girls, post's coming, either of you expecting anything?" asked Taylor, glancing up at the barrage of owls.

"Nope."

"Are you trying to curse me?"

"Wait a second," said Lily, frowning at the swarm of birds. "Is it just me, or are those owls kind of colourful?"

"Huh?"

"Oh my God."

Amidst the fowls of white, grey and brown, there was yellow, blue, red and pink, all with bits of lace decorating them, which was unusual even in Hogwarts, as owls didn't often fly with many varieties of girl's underwear and feminine needs, like sanitary napkins, tampons, push-up, strapless, and Wonder bras, lace and silk panties, thongs and so on.

"Hey!" yelled Andrea, pointing to somewhere in the middle of the maelstrom. "There's the red rosebud underwear I was looking for this morning!"

All the students and teachers glanced up and gawped.

"Oh, wow Andrea, the entire school really needed to know that," mumbled Lily, flushing like the setting sun while Taylor stared at her porridge like it contained the secrets of the universe.

Lily closed her eyes and prayed that the charmed items would go away with the owls.

But that would've been too easy, wouldn't it?

Forcing herself to open her eyes, she grimaced when she saw an owl wearing her powder blue panties with pink hearts and ribbons on its head. (Petunia had given it to her for Christmas just to spite her.) The material was covering its eyes, causing it to fly around in circles before crashing into a pillar and falling… directly next to James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. Remus was sitting near them, gawking at the Unmentionables that were still fluttering to and fro.

Gales and gales of laughter rang through the hall, causing the three girls to sink further into their quagmire of humiliation.

"Students of Hogwarts! Today, there will be an acrobatic air show, courtesy of three quarters of the Marauders!" announced James, his magically magnified voice echoing through the room. "Subjects of this display were of course, generously donated –albeit unknowingly- by Evans, Rose and Lee! Hey, Evans!" he yelled, enjoying her embarrassment and picking up the garment that had fallen beside him and tossing it to Lily, "This yours?"

James wasn't Quidditch Captain for nothing; it landed directly in front of Lily, on her bacon. In a blaze of fury, she set it on fire, unfortunately, the grease on the plate caught fire, resulting with her having to put it out with her hat, her face feeling hotter that the flames.

"And we will now continue with our performance!" said James smuggle, gesturing to Sirius, who twirled his wand, making the underwear first spin around like a cyclone before circling the hall in a neat formation. "And don't even think about hexing us, girls, we've got a Shield Charm around us," he added, seeing the three of them raise their wands threateningly.

Blocking out James's loud obnoxious comments, the three victims watched helplessly, unable to even 'Accio' their belongings, as Sirius's grip on the garments was too strong. They, along with the rest of the school, witnessed the objects form patterns and do routines, rather resembling the leprechauns from Ireland… except, you know, that was underwear, and they were little men with fake gold.

At the end of it, their feminine items were used to spell out the letter 'M', the sentence 'Who's winning now?' and a hot pink thong (which nobody claimed.) was enlarged and hung beside the Hogwarts flag. They received a month of detention and lost 50 points from Gryffindor. (It was a good thing James was Head Boy.)

After they had received several earfuls from McGonagall, Lily went up to the smirking Marauders, leaving Andrea and Taylor to retrieve what was rightfully theirs.

"That," began Lily angrily. The three of them cringed inwardly; Remus studied a crack on the floor with great interest, "has to be one of the most unoriginal pranks in the world! If it weren't for the flying with the Owls, it would so have been in the book of extreme clichés!"

Their jaws dropped open, whatever it was they had been expecting, it certainly wasn't that, "E-excuse me?"

"You guys call yourselves Marauders, the number one pranksters in the school!" snarled Lily, her anger and wounded pride making her already sharp tongue considerably sharper. "You ought to be ashamed!"

"Oh yeah?" countered James. "Well, your little doing the Quidditch match (he obviously couldn't bring himself to say it.) wasn't exactly the most praise-worthy prank either! In fact, it seemed pretty similar to the… the… other time," ended James, spluttering slightly.

"Had trouble being a can-can girl, Potter?" said Lily snidely. "You think that you guys are so great! I bet that we could do a prank that would leave the school in stitches for months, you'd never be able to top it."

"I'm shaking in my bunny slippers," said James in a matching tone. "If only I could live so long."

"Keep talking like that, James, and you won't," hissed Remus. Sirius and Peter were distracted, playing with some 'Spring Fresh' brand pads on the floor.

"Take my word for it," said Lily determinedly, "We'll have a prank a week from now that'll leave you wallowing in shame till the next century!'

"Right, Evans," snorted James, even though his brain was telling him that then was a very good time to shut up. "And I'm a flying piglet."

"You will be, James Thomas Potter," answered Lily, letting a chilly smile creep up her face. "You will be."

"OY! Lily! Are the flowery lavender undies yours?"

So much for looking threatening.

……

"I just had to give us a time limit, didn't I?" wailed Lily, pacing around her dorm despairingly. "Why? Why!"

"Because you were too caught up in the moment to think properly," answered Andrea bluntly, arranging her vast amount of clothes at one side of the room. "Now… Pink casual robes can go with can go with cream blouse and diamond jewelry. Designer Vincci kitten heels with star studs and Chanel handbag…"

"Sorry, Lily," said Taylor sympathetically. "I'm completely drained of ideas. By the way," she added, staring at Andrea who was muttering to herself. "Didn't you arrange your wardrobe two weeks ago?"

"Cashmere rose scarf goes with Justin flowered hat… What? Oh, didn't you hear? Of course you didn't. Pink is the new black. Which means that I've got to completely rematch my clothes."

"You don't even like pink, Andy," said Lily, stopping her pacing to eye the rather unstable mountain teetering near her.

"I do now," she said, sending a few robes back into her closet with a wave of her wand. "Anyway, I need to pick out a Muggle outfit for my date with John McKinsey. He's half Muggle," she explained. "Apparently, he prefers girls who wear Muggle clothes."

"What kind of girl picks out her clothes a whole day before a date anyway?" grumbled Taylor, flopping on her bed and reading Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts notes.

"Most girls," said Lily, "At least the ones who don't keep thinking about Budgies and Switches do at any rate."

"Bludgers and Snitches!"

"Half see-through white blouse with flared sleeves, by D & G, pale pink spaghetti strap top from Shoppe… deep blue unsymmetrical skirt by Athena… Something's missing," she mumbled, holding the clothes up in the mirror and staring at herself, "Maybe a scarf?"

Lily sighed and resumed pacing. It had been four days since she'd made her boastful declaration to James, and just her luck, not a single one of them had an idea in their heads. A brilliant one that was, there were lots of stupid ones. Another three days to go and she was supposed to manage this with her Head Duties and NEWT mock exams coming up soon.

"I've got it!" squealed Andrea. "Lily? Where's your silver butterfly clip with little sapphires? It would go perfectly with this!"

"Andy," said Lily, on the verge of hitting the wall with her head. "I am working under pressure here. Unless I miraculously come up with a heart-stopping plan in two seconds, I will never be able to look James Potter in the eye again!" she paused for a breath. "Besides, I haven't had it since middle of fifth year."

"Butterfly sandals with straps… Mmm? Why?"

"Sirius destroyed it when I wore it on a date," she said, sighing slightly, mourning over the loss of her clip. "How was I to know that he was mortally afraid of butterflies? What kind of person thinks that butterflies are out to conquer the world? But he did me a white gold flower clip with an amethyst in the middle."

"No thanks," she said with disgust. "I'm not touching anything Sirius Black gave."

"It's a really stupid fear though, isn't it?" said Taylor. "Figures that he'd be friends with James. Birds of a feather…"

"What do you mean?" asked Lily slowly, turning to her.

"It's ridiculous really," said Taylor, waving her hand. "I found out about it when I joined the Quidditch team in the third year. D'you notice that whenever we throw a party here, there're never any balloons?"

"Well… now that you mention it… yeah…" said Lily.

"That's because, once, I thought that it would be nice to Charm a whole ton of 'em around the common Room, but when James came in, he ran straight out again, screaming like a banshee," said Taylor, giggling slightly. "The other three had to come in and Vanish all of them. Even so, it was over an hour before he dared to step in again."

"So that's what he's afraid of?" asked Andrea, finally meticulously arranging her clothes back into her closet. "Balloons?"

"Not balloons in particular," she replied. "The fact that they pop. Seems that one of his aunts had a spell gone wrong on the balloons during his 5th birthday. All of them exploded when he blew out his candles. Now, he's got a lasting phobia."

Andrea and Lily burst into hysterical laughter.

"Balloons!" snorted Andrea. "Butterflies!"

Lily stopped laughing, wheezing, she sat up straight, her large green eyes shining with inspiration. "I've got it!"

……

History of Magic class. A dead professor. Another Goblin Rebellion. Bliss. _Not._ James spent his time fidgeting nervously. It was Tuesday. It had been a week since his last prank. It was turning him into a quivering, shaking, twitching blob. It was pathetic.

There was the sound of a chair shifting. James jumped on reflex, swiveling his head wildly as he looked for the source of the sound. It was… Sirius, juggling a few balls that he'd Transfigured from wads of paper. Probably impressing… what's her name… Annabelle? Belle? Bella? Peter was watching Sirius juggle with occasional praises. Remus was near them, sleeping.

Very peacefully, noted James resentfully. Then again, it wasn't like _he_ was about to face what was promised to be a horrendous fate. He turned to see the cause of his agitation. She was sitting to the right of him in front, so he had a very good view of what she was doing. He stared at her; her long auburn hair was glinting in the sunlight, shoulders hunched slightly as she scribbled something. She threw the piece of parchment the she'd been scribbling on to Andrea before taking out a black notebook.

Abruptly, she turned to face him, he flushed, annoyed by himself for being caught in the act. She gave him a sneaky smirk. Yes, that was the word to describe it. Sneaky. Her secretive smiles for the past three days had made him paranoid. She turned back to scribble something on her notebook. Squinting, he could see Andrea reading the note that she'd passed before throwing it into the bin, but it bounced off the rim and fell onto the floor. A Chaser she was not. He frowned when he saw the three of them with identical notebooks.

Then, the bell rang, students scrambled out of their seats, eager to get away from the pit of boredom. He watched as the three of them stood up and shoved their books into their bags. Without zipping up her pack, Andrea had hurried off to talk to some Ravenclaw.

"Prongs!" called Peter excitedly, his voice rising to a squeak. "I know what they're going to do! We can avoid their prank!"

James, Sirius and Remus turned from him. He was by the bin, holding the scrap of parchment that Andrea had failed to throw in. The message scrawled on it was in Lily's writing.

'_Remember,_ _be on the 6th floor an hour after dinner. Don't be late! We'll get those stinking Marauders then!'_

They stared at it for a few moments, James voiced out what all of them were thinking, (well, except Peter.) "It's too easy, it doesn't seem right."

Remus didn't comment, (James cursed him for being neutral.) Sirius just stared at it, before surprisingly saying, "You're right, they _wanted _us to find this."

James remembered the smirk Lily had given him before turning back to write in a plain black notebook. He knew that something was wrong with that picture. Lily never took notes since Sirius had given her those copies (damn him) … and the other two had the exact same ones.

"The notebooks they keep writing in," said James, looking at Remus, "they're actually passing messages aren't they?"

"Yes," answered Remus. "But there's no point in you trying to read them, they never leave those around. Besides, there's a Vanishing Charm on every page."

"How d'you know?" asked Peter, Sirius had torn up the parchment and thrown it into the bin.

Because I taught it to them," said Remus with a shrug.

"Seems that Rose was a little too eager to talk to John today," said James triumphantly, picking up the book from the floor. He flipped through the blank pages until he felt a slightly moist page with a few smudges. He smiled, ink, just Vanished, not quite dried yet. "Padfoot, your Revealer, please."

Rubbing vigorously along the page, words began to appear.

_T: Are they really that stupid?_

_**A: Probably.**_

**L: You better believe it.**

_T: So? What's the plan?_

_**A: To wear my adorable salmon baby doll dress and star necklace on my next date with John.**_

_T: Not that plan, did you really think I would actually be interested?_

**L: Mmm... Room of Requirement straight after dinner. We can set up the whole thing there.**

_**A: How well do you think my suede boots would go with it? Maybe my cream beaded scarf?**_

_T: Not caring._

**L: Just make sure the two of you are there to help me, k?**

"That's insulting," said Sirius sulkily.

"Well we'll show them," said James. "We'll turn up there before them and foil whatever they're planning."

……

"Oy! Chelsea!" yelled Sirius. "Seen Evans, Rose or Lee?"

"Yeah!" she yelled back. "They're in their dorm talking!"

"K! Thanks!" he said before heading to James. He'd suggested that they do some checking up first just to make sure they weren't walking into a trap. They left Sirius it to Sirius, who had found Chelsea loitering by the portrait hole.

The three of them meant to get to the Room first, lie in wait and spring upon the unsuspecting girls when they arrived, then proceeding to hex and curse them before leaving them there to be found by a house elf or a student. To add the cherry on top, Peter had gotten a wizard video recorder for Christmas, they figured that they could record everything and show it to the school.

When they arrived, the door was already there, thinking that the girls had opened up the room earlier, they stepped in. The first thing that James noticed was that it was pitch black. Immediately, he concentrated, _turn on the lights… turn on the lights…_ but …nothing happened.

"Padfoot? Wormtail? Think along with me, I can't see like this," said James, feeling confused.

Suddenly, (Just like in those villain-kind of movie.) the lights flashed on. James squinted in the bright glare, his eyes watering as his optical senses adjusted to the new light. "Thanks, mates," he said, shielding his eyes with his hand. "Never knew you could think that har- har – h…"

James could barely form a word as his surroundings were revealed. Big, small, round, poodle-shaped, all of them! The epitome of evil. _Balloons._ Sweat was beading on his forehead, he wanted to take a step back to get further away from those _things_, but his legs were frozen in fear. Turning is neck slowly; he saw a few more of those dreaded evil things float to block his exit. He wanted, he _needed_ to get out of there. Those horrendous bits of blown up rubber, their skins stretched so thinly, that a little more air, the slightest touch…and… and… He closed his eyes tightly and tried not to hyperventilate.

"Good Lord, Potter," came a familiar voice, venturing to twist his head to the source, he saw a shimmering image of Lily. "You really _are_ afraid of balloons aren't you?"

"Buh- buh- buh- ball- ballo… buh-"

"If you're trying to say 'but', you aren't doing a very good job of it," she paused, smiling happily. "Now let's see. In those corny movies, bad guys always reveal their evil little plot about now right?" she asked, frowning. "Alright, then. If you're as smart as the teachers make you out to be, you won't move so much. You see, I've charmed the balloons so that the tiniest bit more friction than the rubbing of themselves together will cause them to explode ten times louder and more violently than usual. Meaning that you make more than a twitch and one will blow up, and the another, and another, and another…"

She grinned evilly, doing a pretty good job of imitating an evil villain. Picking up a balloon near her, she poked it with a pin. James squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to jump.

"I knew that you'd fall for that idiotic ruse," continued Lily. "You didn't _actually_ think that Andrea would be careless enough to just drop her book like that, did you?" she smiled at the astounded look of realization on his face. "Of course you did, but, then again, she's a good actress. And…if you're wondering about Chelsea, she's with us. Wasn't too pleased about Black dropping her like a hot potato one week into the term."

James wasn't wondering about it, but she just had to rub salt into the open wound. His neck, legs, arms and basically his entire body was starting to tire from standing still so long.

"Don't even try getting the room to let you out. It only listens to the first ones in it," said Lily, hammering the final nail onto his coffin. "Don't worry, Pettigrew's camera'll be put to good use."

……

Peter was curled into a little ball in a corner, sniffling slightly. It was so dark.

So very dark.

The silence was deafening.

"Hello?" he called out, his quavering voice echoing vaguely around him. He felt nervously for his wand, only to find nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing around him. Nothing about him. Just him. All alone. To fend for himself against the terrors of the obsidian light.

He'd never been so terrified in his life. (**A/N Coward.** **Sorry.)**

He whimpered and continued to hug himself tightly. His imagination played with his mind, adding more fearsome creatures and fears to the images that the girls had conjured up. He saw glittering red eyes and glistening fangs. Humming and rocking himself, he tried to close his eyes to shut out the eeriness.

"A- anyone?" he whined, on the verge of tears.

He lay in that corner, rocking himself for who knows how long until there as a crash, the breaking of a wall and a large figure running in with an uncountable amount of pint sized beings following after him. This caused him to wet his pants and faint. And that was the way he remained until the girls remembered him and dragged him out in disgust.

……

Beep.

_Flutter._

Beep.

_Hiss._

It was dark.

Beep.

It was spooky.

It was actually kinda cool when you thought about it.

Yes, those were the weird, senseless thoughts that were going through the head of Sirius Black. In fact, he decided, it seemed very like the Muggle kind of picturey thingies that moved in little boxes. You know, when there was a guy who wore a trench coat and hat, and soon, there'd be a skimpily dressed woman on his lap as he puffed on a pipe or one those cylindery things that Muggles suck in their mouths.

Wicked.

Where were the skimpily dressed women anyway?

Beep.

Except for that annoying little beeping sound. That really spoilt cool silent atmosphere… it even had an occasional swish and light brush of something against his cheek. He looked around and saw a little red light from where the insistent beeping was coming from. He peered at it carefully, imagining himself with a magnifying glass and deerstalker hat, like… Shersock Holes or whatever his name was.

Then, he felt something land lightly on his shoulder. Very light. Almost… weightless even. _No_… he thought, freezing… _it couldn't be_.

The lights in his room flashed on just like James's and there they were, their beady little eyes glinting. They spread their great wings with the swoosh that absolutely screamed 'I want to kill Sirius Black and take over the world!'. The bright colour of their wings didn't fool him for a second. Those cheerful shades, all to hide their true dark, dark intentions. Oh, he knew it. He knew it all.

There was a voice behind him, saying "Black."

He turned his head, only to see a huge butterfly resting on his shoulder as he stared at its large wings, patterned with two large eyes. His breath was coming out in short, harsh gasps. It was talking to him! They were everywhere! Some were resting on him; some were on the floor, hundreds! Thousands! Millions! Gazillions! All flying up, down, left, right and other dimensions that were known only to their foul little insect minds.

Sirius screamed like an idiot and ran around the room wildly, butterflies touching him, their feelers waving around to examine his skin as to figure out how best to torture him! They knew! They knew that he knew all about their little plot! And they had come to destroy him! And he knew that they knew that he knew! And they knew that he knew that they knew that he knew! And he knew that they knew…

He was so caught up with screeching and jumping and skittering that he barely noticed Andrea's very annoyed face on the screen, probably due to his lack of attention. After calling for him a few times only having to hear him scream something like 'They speak! They speak!', she gave up and just poured nectar over him. This sent the butterflies really chasing after him.

You now know how the Marauders spent their time trapped in different sections of the Room of Requirement. With James Potter standing like a plank of wood, Peter Pettigrew huddled up like a baby and him scuttling about like a maniac.

……

Sirius had a weapon. It was long, hard and fully loaded. (Not like that you dirty-minded person, you.) And he could use it. Unlike James who didn't dare to move and Peter who had dropped his wand at the entrance and was too scared to venture forth that two meters to get it. So he used it. Very violently.

BOOM.

CRASH.

BONK.

"AAAAAIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!"

As he tried to curse, hex, stun, destroy and blast the harmless butterflies into oblivion with his vast knowledge of jinxes, he kept missing, therefore shattering the stone walls to rubble as the insects chased him and flicked their long tongues to get the nectar. He went so ballistic that he managed to get a hole in a wall big enough for him to run through. He ran into another room with the butterflies still following him.

The room was dark.

Ah, so this was where Peter came in.

……

He was having a leg cramp.

A very painful leg cramp.

And he was pretty sure that his other leg had fallen asleep.

Peachy.

But he couldn't move, because those horrible rubbery air-filled objects were bobbling ever so slightly around him. He couldn't even reach for his wand to protect himself. But there was no protection against them. He'd tried to inch away several times, but they'd foiled his plans by floating ever so innocently near him, like they hadn't even meant to.

As if.

Besides, he was having another problem. He needed to use the loo.

THUMP.

Uh-oh.

Those shrieks of terror sounded vaguely familiar.

THUMP.

He glanced nervously at the wobbling balloons.

Then, the wall burst open and Sirius came running in, oblivious to the shards of brick he sent flying in. Debris, butterfly and crazed best mate alike were touching, hitting and bumping into…

James felt his heart literally gripped by terror.

**BABOOM.**

……

"…And this concludes our presentation for the evening," said Andrea brightly, gesturing to the huge screen that the house elves had provided. After leaving Taylor to place the camera around the Room, Lily had successfully linked it up for a dinner show in the Great Hall. She gestured to Lily, who immediately froze the frame, showing a running Sirius from butterflies, a very stiff James in the midst of balloons and an unconscious Peter.

Taylor ran in with the camera before joining Lily and Andrea on the table, linking arms and bowing proudly.

"Thank you one and all," she continued to the howls of hysterical laughter. "There will be another performance tomorrow as we must now run madly for our lives because it appears that Professor McGonagall has finally snapped out of her trance! Night all!"

……

The next morning, for strange, unknown reasons, there was a black piglet with eagle wings floating around the Great Hall, squealing loudly.

**A/N: Thank God, I've finally finished typing this bloody thing. Lord, I feel old, this was freaking long. Hmm, three pranks in one chapter… not bad, huh? Well, actually, this is just a stepping stone, in the next chapter, important events will happen that will be the real turning point. The last prank has significance. Anywho, I have bad news, my mum let slip that she wants to ban me again. AGAIN! Ugh. Sooo… I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out.**


	10. A Turning Point

**A/N: Grr. Curse the hairdresser! Curse her along with me, my faithful legion of readers! (You know, I quite like the word legion, it sounds so army-ish.) I've got this weird haircut, she snipped of most of my hair so now it looks sooo short. Grr. Again. And, yes, I do know that I'm being exceedingly superficial and shallow, but guess what? I don't care right now!**

…

**But I do care about the Marauders and Lily…**

**So, I'll just shut up before I start blithering about something completely pointless.**

**Disclaimer: If you think that Harry Potter could ever belong to a teenager with a weird haircut, you are delusional.**

**A/N: Sorry to interrupt, but I just remembered, you know stuff like and so on? Well, I just started one there under the name elvendagger (duh), so, I'm wondering, do people read each other's diaries and comment? If they do, then how do they contact the diary writer?**

**Oh, and I need to address 2 issues.**

**Firstly, Peter's fear.**

**Well, as commented on by Logical Raven, it was kind of the dark that he was afraid of. That was what I was writing about at first, and I think that that was what the girls were just planning. But when you think about it, it has a deeper meaning. They created images to scare him, and he had no one to protect him from it. It was like he was alone and had to stand on his own two feet for once, and we can all see how well that turned out.**

**Secondly, the issue as to why Lily's pranks are better than the Marauders and how she's acting.**

**Okay, I know this seems strange, but even I, with my horrendous memory, distinctly remember that there were a few reviews talking about this. But when I went over my reviews just now, I couldn't find anything. Which is weird, unless I'm starting to hallucinate or something. I do recall one review saying that Lily was being annoying and Remus should dump her in front of everybody or something. And another about why their pranks are better when the Marauders have been at it longer. Well, I know that I mentioned in one of the chapters when James and Lily were planning the Ball, that when Lily and her friends ran out of idea, they just improvised the ones from the Marauders. Which explains why theirs are better, because they're using their own and the Marauders's creativity, unlike the Marauders who are relying on themselves.**

**Umm… is it possible to delete a review you gave? 'cause I seriously don't see it. Anywho, Lily's attitude has been addressed in this chapter.**

Lily burst into the dorm, her face flushed and her eyes shining with exhilaration.

"That was the best!" she crowed triumphantly, flopping down on her bed and grinning up at Taylor and Andrea, they had stopped talking to stare at her. "Did you see his face this morning when we ran that tape again? And how McGonagall looked when she had to Transfigure him back? Merlin, I'll have to remember to remind him later!" She clutched her stomach, laughing happily.

"Actually, Lily," started Taylor hesitantly, looking at the chuckling girl. "We… kind of wanted to talk to you about something."

Lily stopped laughing with difficulty and sat up, finally noticing how serious both of them looked. In fact, she'd never seen such an intense look on Andrea's face since Gladrags had a 50 percent off Spring Sale.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"You see, Lily," started Taylor gently, as though there was a risk of her exploding. "Haven't you noticed that you seem rather… well… rather…umm…"

"What?" asked Lily again, feeling confused.

"Alright, Taylor," said Andrea firmly, holding up a hand to signal her to be quiet. "You're really diplomatic and all, but even I can tell that this isn't a situation for that kind of crap," she turned to Lily, her dark blue eyes boring into her.

Yep, Lily remembered clearly, that was _definitely_ the look Andrea had worn when she saw another girl picking up a Blythe robe that she wanted during the sale.

"I'm going to give you what we think, and I'm not going to mince one damn word to cushion the blow," she continued. "You're turning into Potter."

Lily gaped, unable to utter a word in her shock.

"I know that I'm in no position to lecture you," said Andrea, "Taylor would probably be better, but I'm good at being as blunt as… well… a really, really blunt object. These past few months, you've been reckless, completely disregarding rules, bragging left and right and could _so_ be called downright pompous," she thought for a few seconds. "That sounds kinda like me."

"Shut it, Andy," said Taylor. "_Now_ is the time for diplomacy crap."

"W-what the hell?" spluttered Lily. "He started it! He embarrassed me! I'm just retaliating!"

"What he did to you in first year was really mean, Lily," said Taylor quietly. "And he did humiliate you, but you humiliated him back. I don't mind a bunch of innocent pranks, but _this_? This is going too far."

"What d'you mean too far?" demanded Lily.

"You gloat after each and every stunt we pull," cut in Andrea. "You've rubbed his face raw and have probably poured the entire school's supply of vinegar on his open wounds. Not that I haven't enjoyed it," she added as an afterthought.

"And some of those pranks were kind of low," added Taylor. "Like the balloons and butterflies, for example. I admit that Andrea and I contributed," she said quickly. "And it was completely hilarious… but that was to us. What do you think it was like for them?" she could read the obvious guilt in Lily's large expressive eyes. "Sure, their fears are strange, but tell me, how would you feel if your fear of heights was used? Or my fear of anything with sharp teeth and ripping claws? Or-"

"My fear… of… of… _her…"_ whispered Andrea, a haunted look in her eyes.

Lily shifted and hugged Andrea, "God, Andy, I never thought-"

"That's it exactly, Lily," said Andrea, not gently, but not sharply either, pulling away. "You never _thought_. You never thought about how you were abusing the faith the staff put in you when they made you Head Girl. You never thought about the students that would have been caught in crossfire. You never thought about how you could hurt others… how you could hurt yourself…"

Lily stared at her as she let out a harsh laugh. "Listen to me lecture you," she said disbelievingly. "I don't even follow what I'm preaching about," she turned to Lily. "But that's the thing Lily," she said earnestly, "You do. If Potter had made people sleepwalk into the lake," (Lily smiled guiltily.) "You would've told a Professor. Look at yourself now! Why we're doing this is because you're better than that."

"Exactly, Lily," said Taylor. "If James ever pranked you before, you would have shouted at him, hexed him at the most, but you always made sure that no one got involved. Usually, you would've walked away. Isn't that what you want James to do when Snape taunts him? Walk away? Instead of retaliating? Because you know that only a bigger person would do that. We want you to-"

"- realize that you've become a relentless, mean, ruthless, single-minded, braggy, revenge-seeking bitch," interrupted Andrea. "I know that that's harsh, but one day, Lily, you're going to look back on all this and say 'Gosh, I was a relentless, mean, ruthless, single-minded, braggy, revenge-seeking bitch, wasn't I?' and then you'll come after Taylor and I and yell at us for not telling you about what a relentless, mean, ruthless, single-minded, braggy, revenge-seeking bitch you became."

"Call a truce to this war, Lily," said Taylor. "Do it, because we know that that's what the old Lily who didn't get carried away, would've done."

They sat in silence for a few seconds, staring at Lily, who was gazing blankly at a smudge on the wall. (Andrea had thrown her eyeliner there when she realized that it was black instead of midnight blue.)

"I – I need to think," she mumbled, stumbling out of the room.

"Can't say we didn't try," said Andrea with a shrug.

……

That afternoon, Lily missed all her classes. Students assumed that the Marauders had probably done something to her, so they didn't ask too many questions. Andrea and Taylor provided lurid details about the stomach cramps Lily was having to the professors.

The rays of sun that brightened the ground of Hogwarts, however, did not miss the reddish-gold hair that sat by the lake, legs drawn to her chest and hugging herself as she stared blankly upon the waters deceptively calm surface.

Even as the ball of fire bid the day goodbye and took to rest behind the mountains, still she sat.

Thinking.

……

"Are you sure you aren't pushing this a little too far, Prongs?" asked Peter nervously.

James stopped pacing and snarled. Thanks to Evans and her friends, the whole bloody school knew that he was terrified of balloons. _Damn Aunt Ermintrude,_ he sulked. Sirius didn't seem too depressed, in fact, he was actually pleased, saying that at last, the world would know about the evil butterflies.

…

Right.

"I've told you, Wormtail," he snapped. "I'm not going to take this lying down. And don't start the 'But we're copying them argument. You know as well as I that they've been modifying our pranks against us, and did other people seem to notice? No!"

"But-"

"So all we're doing is turning it against them. Padfoot, don't you agree?"

"They now know the danger we're in," said Sirius to his bedpost. "Those winged villains will hide no more! I, Sirius Orion Black have revealed their ghastly secret!" he stared at James and Peter thoughtfully. "D'you think they'll come after me?"

"But what if they're afraid of something dangerous?"

"Wormtail, when will you learn that girls are afraid of the most ridiculous things?" asked James impatiently. "I heard Isabelle say that Evans wouldn't pet her bunny, because she was scared of it (what he didn't hear was that Lily thought that it had rabies.), Rose's probably fearing a broken nail at the most, and can you imagine what kind of fear my best Chaser could possibly have?"

"Maybe I should go for a witness protection program," mused Sirius. "I could get a new name! Like… Bernard! Or Binky! Maybe Barney!"

"So all we need to do is nick the Boggart from the third years' DADA session, stow it somewhere and unleash when we know one of them is going to show up. I doesn't matter which of them it is, as long as the school gets to see."

"I – I guess…" muttered Peter. "If you say so, Prongs."

"I know so," insisted James.

"How about Max Power?" said Sirius excitedly. "I read that on one of the Muggle thingies that sucks up dirt."

"Sounds great," said James absently. "Now let's go get that Boggart."

Remus came into the room with a tottering pile of books. When he arrived, Sirius bounded up to him and held out his hand. "Hi, the name's Power. Max Power."

When the three of them looked at him in confusion, he just shrugged. "Lily showed me a tell-a-fish-on, there was this really cool guy with slicked back hair who kept saying his name like that, and loads of women with big boobs and very little clothing draped themselves over him," he glanced at Remus and his eyes brightened. "Did I tell you about the Butterflies Witness Protection Program I'm on?"

"Huh?" said Remus in confusion.

……

They didn't see her at night. They didn't see her in the morning. And they didn't see her at breakfast. It was then they started getting worried. Only when they walked into their first class, History of Magic, did they see Lily, sitting far at the back in a corner. Even then, they still worried, probably because of her appearance. Though she was no fashion queen like Andrea, she did at least try to make sure that she didn't look as though she was dragged out from a grave.

Her long auburn hair was mussed and wild, skin pale and drawn, contrasting with the huge dark bags under her normally bright eyes. They hadn't realized that their words had such a big impact on her.

Instead of sleeping like she usually did when Binns began to drone, she just stared blankly through his semi-transparent stomach, her mouth slightly open, seeming lost in thought. Taylor heard Andrea slump on her desk a few minutes later, apparently she and her short attention span had given up staring at Lily and had given in to Binns's vacuum cleaner like voice. Taylor sighed and prepared to sleep, thinking that maybe they'd been too hard on her.

Abruptly, she felt something hard hit her head, glancing up in annoyance; she saw her notebook lying oh so innocently next to her. One day, she swore, she was going to burn it and cackle as the flames consumed those dratted pages. Flipping it open, she gave Andrea's chair a good kick to wake her up.

**L: Thanks.**

_**A: Grr, I was having the best dream about the lead singer of the Hobgoblins, Taylor!**_

_T: Shut it, Andy. Huh?_

**L: Thanks.**

_**A: There was Snubby! And he was feeding me-**_

_T: We don't want to hear it. Why?_

**L: For telling me.**

_**A: Oh, hey Lily. You look like shit.**_

**L: Again, thanks. This time, note the sarcasm.**

_T: We're sorry if we were harsh… we just… just didn't want you to do something you'd regret…_

**L: I know… and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.**

_**A: That's it, Lily. You are coming with me to the damn girl's bathroom right after this. My best friend is not going to walk around looking like a ghoul.**_

**L: Wow, you're making me feel so much better! (not.)**

_**A: I know.**_

_T: So… have you thought about our suggestion?_

**L: Well… yes… can we meet by the lake during lunch? I think that you guys'll have to tell me what to say.**

_T: I'm so proud of you!_

_**A: No worries, we'll have you groveling like you've never groveled before!**_

**L: Okay, I am so not groveling. I'm not _that _desperate.**

_T: Now that's the Lily I know._

_**A: Welcome back.**_

All the while, several pairs of eyes watched them unblinkingly.

……

"If you think that for one measly second I'm going to bring my 150 galleon Kirsten fall satchel into that filth encrusted, bacteria ridden bathroom, you are sadly mistaken, Taylor Lee!"

"Then where are you going to put it pray tell?"

"Outside, where you're going to guard it."

"What makes you think that I'm going to stand out here doing nothing?"

"Do you really want another lecture about the techniques of applying mascara?"

"What are you two waiting for? Hop along now, I'll just stay out here."

"Good girl, c'mon Lily."

"Why d'you even bring that much make up around with you?"

"For emergencies, like the Scouts say, always be prepared."

"You never were a scout."

"What's your point?"

"Well then, did you write the essay on the uses of Murtlap essence for Slughorn?"

"What's a Murtlap?"

……

"Alright, Padfoot… now!" hissed James the moment the two bickering girls had stepped into the bathroom.

"Oy! Lee!" called Sirius, walking forward. "Forgot to tell you 'bout practice tonight. The Chasers are learning a new formation."

Taylor took a few steps forward, slight suspicion crossing her face. "Why're you telling me this? Why not James?"

"Our beloved Captain is nursing his wounded pride," said Sirius casually, shrugging his shoulders. He saw the black notebook float out of Andrea's bag as it was being raised by an invisible hand. "Anyway, nice talking to you," Suddenly, he turned around again as he saw James's grip on the book slip. "Actually… err… have I told you about the destructive dark side of butterflies yet? And that I'm forming an organization… umm… W.E.B… We hatE Butterflies." He asked quickly, grabbing her by the shoulders to stop her from looking back.

"Where's the 'E'?"

"The 'E'? Oh, it's in the 'hatE', you know… err… anyway, so I haven't told you about it, have I?"

"Umm… actually… yes, you have."

"I have? Gee, I wonder why I don't remember?" he mused, frowning. "Butterflies have sucked out my memories!" he gasped. "Slowly, ever so slowly, they're drawing out the vital information which they know will lead to their downfall! Well I won't let it happen! W.E.B will survive!" he sprinted to the Hospital Wing. "Poppy! Poppy!"

"Demented," mumbled Taylor, leaning against the wall next to Andrea's bag.

……

After successfully dragging Sirius away from Madam Pomfrey, they gathered at the Library, all of them having a free period except for Remus, the only one who was taking Arithmancy. Nutters, that one, who wanted to look at a bunch of numbers anyway?

"What if it's a trick like the last time?" asked Peter squeakily, staring at the book as though he expected it to jump up and bite him.

"No, it won't be," answered James confidently. "One thing I learnt while dealing with Evans, she never uses the same method twice. Besides, I don't think they were expecting it."

"Or maybe that's just what they want you to think," muttered Sirius, poking at the book with a quill.

"Just pass me your revealer, Padfoot," said James, looking for their latest conversation. "With luck, they'll have been discussing where they're gonna be, can't release a Boggart with too many people around."

Moments later, they read the notes that had been written minutes earlier.

"Perfect," said Sirius with a feral grin. "Think we'll just pop over there right after Herbology? I know that we have another study period after that," he looked thoughtful. "Reckon we could hex Snape on the way?"

"What d'you think they were talking about?" asked Peter, reading it over.

"Maybe Evans is trying to work up the guts to ask Remus out," snapped James, unsuccessfully keeping the bitterness out of his voice.

"Eh?" both of them asked.

"Forget I said it," said James quickly. "Don't tell him about this. You know how worried he'll get. I mean, once he sees how harmless it is, I'm sure he won't mind."

"Not exactly eager to be lectured myself, mate," laughed Sirius. He glanced around the room with interest. "So, you think they have anything here on how to start an Anti-Butterfly League?"

……

Lily walked across the grounds quickly, intending to get to their meeting place first so she could think. She felt exhausted, though Andrea's make up had certainly made her look less… dead. She sighed, she had thought about what they'd told her, their words ringing in her head over and over again, forcing her to see what she so desperately wanted to avoid… that they were right. Now… she had to pay for it.

She could here the shrill sound of the bell in the castle, which meant that students would be milling around soon, going to the Great Hall for lunch. She'd told the Professor that she needed to drop by the Hospital Wing in order to get out of the stifling classroom. Now, she really felt as though she needed it. She had always sucked at admitting that she was wrong.

She frowned and stopped walking, unable to quench the feeling that somebody was watching her. Before she had time to think about it, a broomstick flew out from behind the tree. Lily stiffened and tried to back away; trying to tell herself that it probably belonged to some irresponsible student who had left it lying around.

It zoomed towards her and went under her legs, forcing her to ride it. She let out a scream of fear as she clasped her legs around it tightly and held the handle in a death grip. The broomstick flew around the grounds in front of the school at amazing speed, she felt distinctly nauseous as everything around her melded together in a mush of brown and green. If she hadn't been so frightened, she would have noticed the heads of students popping out of the windows and gasping.

It rose higher and higher, far over the roof of the school. She closed her eyes tightly, unwilling to look down. As if sensing her reluctance, it bucked like a mad Hippogriff. It then turned itself over and over and over, making her feel like she was caught in a cyclone. The grip her legs had on the handle lessened and slipped off, hanging by only her hands, shrieking loudly.

She forced herself to open her eyes and almost threw up. She was so high up… So high, that the people below her looked like different colored dots, she saw two that she could vaguely make out as Taylor and Andrea. The former was running to the broom shed while the latter looked like she was trying to force people to get up there and rescue her. She would have found it amusing if it weren't for the fact that she was practically faint from fear.

She thought no more as the broom abruptly rose again before taking a steep ninety-degree plunge to the ground. She felt her stomach lurch somewhere around her throat and gave an earsplitting scream that could have rivaled the Bandon Banshee's any day. She could feel her sweaty palms slipping off the slick wood. Stubbornly, she gripped it harder. Then it went straight up again, nearing the hard stone walls of the school.

She blearily heard people's screeches mingle with her own as she was violently slammed against the hard brick over and over again. Despite the jolting pain that ran through her body and the Boggart's determination to throw her off, she held on, trying not to think about how tired her arms felt. Seeming to sense her weakness, it shot up like a cork, leaving Lily feeling dizzy, bruised and sick. With an almighty swing, like a baseball bat swerving in a graceful arc, Lily flew off into the air by herself, the broomstick landed on the grass before changing into a vampire in front of a student.

As she plummeted to the solid, merciless ground, she didn't see her life flash before her eyes like they seemed to say in most novels, instead, she found herself thinking about how the impact would surely crush her bones and burst her flesh, her remains strewn all over the grass, leaving the school to remember her as 'Lily Evans- the red splotch on the ground'.

She wondered hazily whether they'd be able to squeeze her mangled body into a dress for her funeral.

……

James, Sirius and Peter had stepped out of their hiding places and gaped at the flying figure being tossed around wildly. James felt his heart drop to his stomach. What happened to bunnies? He wondered bleakly. He wanted to run and grab his broom to save Lily, but he couldn't force his legs to move.

People began screaming as Lily was tossed against the wall above them, suddenly, he felt his collar being viciously gripped and his tie pulled till it almost strangled him. He looked down to see a pair of dangerous sapphire eyes.

"Look here, you fucking git!" Andrea yelled, her voice rising. "If you don't get my best friend off that fucking broomstick, I am going to fucking rip out your throat with my bare hands! So get to it!"

James nodded numbly and felt more than saw Sirius sprint with him to the broom shed. Cursing his own stupidity, he yelled, "Accio Silver Arrow 2000!"

He saw it flying to him and mounted it frantically. Lily was going to die because of him! Lily Evans was going to _die!_ He rose with impossible speed and felt like someone had poured a bucket of ice water on him when he saw her dropping like a stone to the ground. He headed straight to her, but before he could reach her, a blur appeared in further ahead of him and grabbed Lily.

The person landed amidst the crowd of cheering students and professors who had arrived when they heard the commotion. He cradled Lily in his arms with bruises, cuts and scratches over her; a large gash was on her forehead, probably caused by a protruding rock on the wall. But what was even more appalling than her numerous injuries and the blood running down her face… was the she was crying. She clutched to her savior as she sobbed uncontrollably.

_Remus_

……

"Go away," he said quietly, in a voice of steel to the crowd surrounding him. "She needs space."

He held the shaking girl to his chest and walked forward, the people parted in front of him like the Red Sea to Moses.

"Remus! Wait!" he heard someone call. He turned around, but his hard gaze softened as he saw Taylor running to him, her broom still in her hand. "I'll go with you. I want to make sure that Lily's okay."

He nodded and walked into the castle, but not before giving his three friends the most disappointed look that ever crossed his features.

……

James stood dumbly, feeling shame course through his veins as he saw Remus's face. He felt like hanging his head and running away with his tail between his legs. He'd crossed the line and done what he'd been afraid he would do since the war started. He'd gotten carried away and almost killed Lily… He'd lost control.

His thoughts were broken as he felt his tie being viciously yanked again. He looked down only to see Andrea's furious face before she punched him on the nose. He stumbled backwards, clutching it. All doubts about the rumors he heard that Andrea knew several types of Muggle defense arts were swept away.

She was quivering with rage and was actually quite scary to look at. She wheeled around at them, making all three boys, who were a good deal taller than her (well, except Peter.) cower under her murderous glare. This was _not_ the blur, carefree girl they were used to.

"Do you imbeciles know what Lily was about to do before you nearly _murdered_ her?" she whispered dangerously. They flinched at her words, wishing that she had yelled instead. Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "She was about to meet us to discuss how she was going to end this freaking war!" now she was starting to scream. "She was willing to apologize!" she poked the person who was standing nearest to her, which was Sirius, on the chest as her voice rose in pitch and volume, making them back away when she took a few steps forward. "_She _(poke) _was going _(poke) _to admit _(poke) _that she _(poke) _was wrong!_ (poke poke poke.)"

Her words left James feeling worst than ever before, if that was possible, but she was far from done. "But she (poke) didn't quite get (poke) the chance to do so (poke), did she! (poke poke poke) _Why? Because you three brainless numbskulls sent a fucking Boggart to maim her!" _she then gave all three of them a great shove backwards, without realizing it, they'd been backing away towards the lake, so in they landed with a splash.

"Fuck conscience and restraint and all that damn junk!" she screeched. "If you three don't come begging for her pardon on your hands and knees, we will make your lives a living hell!"

……

Taylor and Remus watched silently as the pale figure in front of them slept. She had a huge bandage over her forehead, but her minor injuries were already healed. The only thing that was preventing her from going back was the trauma that she might be suffering from.

Taylor looked over at Remus and smiled sadly.

"Just like before," she said.

Remus nodded.

……

"I am lower that low, I'm the lowest there is, I'm lower than any possible level of lowness there could possibly be!" James moaned hitting his head against the wall.

Sirius nodded glumly, not even having the heart to make light of the situation. "We all are, mate," he said sadly.

"Merlin! I never wanted to actually hurt her!" groaned James pleadingly to Sirius. "I never really thought that she'd be afraid of heights! I mean, last Quidditch game she was sitting at the top stands!"

"None of us actually thought, Prongs," said Sirius with a bitter smile. "That was the problem. We didn't weigh out how dangerous the bleeding idea really was. Kind of like me and Snape last year, eh?"

James stood motionless before sitting next to Sirius on his bed. "Rose was right," he sighed. "We are one damn bunch of brainless prats."

"A-at least we didn't get in trouble for releasing the Boggart," said Peter. "Dumbledore thought that it just escaped."

"That makes is worse!" yelled James. "Right after I apologize to Lily, I'm turning myself in."

"I'll go with you, mate," said Sirius, he laughed bitterly. "You'd think that I'd be smart enough not to make the same mistake twice."

Peter didn't say anything, instead choosing to shrink quietly in a corner.

"I'll do anything to make her forgive me," said James desperately, "I'll tell the entire school that we lost the war, I'll say that they won and beat us flat, I'll… I'll kiss Snape!"

"Don't think that that would help things much, Prongs," said Sirius wryly. "This is what we're going to do, you'll beg Lily to forgive you personally first, and after she's cooled down, or after you've failed, Peter and I will try our luck. Then we'll go to each of them separately and do it. The next day, we'll announce it to the school and do whatever they tell us to do."

"God, Padfoot, you make it sound so easy," he said miserably, hitting his head on the bedpost. "What do I say? I've never really done it before."

"We'll grovel, beg and lower our image as it's never been lowered before," said Sirius bluntly. "Let's just get started on thinking how to do it."

……

Lily woke up with a raging headache, she grimaced and held her head in her hands. She felt sore all over and was pretty sure she was completely covered with bruises. She wondered vaguely what had caused it, frowning; she felt the bandage on her head and remembered. The broomstick… heights… slamming against the wall… being tossed up… falling… falling… falling…

She pressed her hands against her forehead tightly and tried to make the images and fear that was eating through her go away. She glanced around the dim hospital wing grinned to herself when she saw Taylor and Andrea near her bed, the latter gave a sort of grunt before turning over. They must've been persistent, she thought, or Madam Pomfrey'd never have let them stay.

Why am I still alive? The thought struck her suddenly. Unless Dumbledore had managed to save her somehow… then she remembered being held carefully, her cheek pressed against a firm chest… _Remus._ She flushed as she recalled how she cried, she hadn't done so in a long, long time. Getting up carefully to obey the unexplainable urge to see him, she put on a dressing gown that was lying near her. Walking quietly as not to wake her sleeping friends, she slipped out of the door unheard.

Glancing at her watch, she realised that it was already past curfew. Nevertheless, she knew from her patrols around the school that there were bound to be a few couples snogging here and there who could possibly tell her where Remus was. Nearing one of the broom closets near the stairs, she was right. Soft moans and groans could be heard from the inside. Wrenching the door open, she glared at the two inside, recognizing them to be from Ravenclaw. The girl let out a small shriek, making Lily wince. Besides the fact that the shrill sound hurt her head, she already knew she looked like hell.

"Did you see Remus Lupin?" she asked.

The two stared at each other in confusion, having expected to get in trouble.

"Tell me and I'll just send you off with a warning," she tried again.

Their faces brightened visibly, "We saw him head to the Astronomy Tower," said the girl.

"Thanks," said Lily, walking quickly, knowing that the moment she left, the closet door would probably close again, but not really caring.

She wasn't sure what she wanted do, but she knew exactly what she wanted to say. She'd harbored her crush for him long enough, and regardless of whether she thought there'd be a chance with him, she was going to tell him. 'The truth will set you free', wasn't that the saying? Well, something like that anyway.

Reaching the tower, she walked up the steps, wondering suddenly whether she would find him making love with a girl. Steeling herself, she pushed the door open… to her relief; he was leaning against the ledge, staring at the stars.

She padded towards him, although he gave no reaction, she knew that he could sense she was there.

"Thank you," she said simply.

He nodded and sighed. "We were so close to finally having peace," he said, smiling sadly. "Don't worry," he added quickly when she opened her mouth, "I don't expect you to ask James for forgiveness, I'm not even going to defend him anymore. If I know him well though, he'll be coming pleading to you soon."

Instead of making some skeptical remark, she just nodded. Even she, who barely knew James, doubted that he would pretend something like this never happened. She glanced at Remus and her heart skipped a beat. He looked so handsome, with the stars light illuminating his face faintly. She sucked in a breath and braced herself, "I like you."

Remus looked at her in surprise and said, "I like you too."

"No, not like that," she said with an unreadable expression on her face, "I mean that I _like _you."

"Oh… oh…" Remus stuttered. "I mean… umm… I… well…" he took a deep breath and said quickly. "I'm sorry, but I like someone else."

"Oh…" said Lily softly and glanced down at her feet.

"You're a really great girl and all, Lily," he started babbling nervously, "but my best mate likes you, and even if I did like you which I don't because I really like this other girl, I couldn't possibly think of dating you because-"

He stopped his mindless chatter when she solemnly held a finger to his lips. "I'm going to borrow Andrea's bluntness for a while now," she said seriously. "I'm not going to pretend that I'm not disappointed, because, frankly, I am. I've liked you ever since you helped me in first year. Now, I'm not going to stalk you or try to force you to like me, but I need you to do something. I want you to pretend that I never said that, I don't want you to look at me any differently than before or with sympathetic eyes, I don't want you to be uncomfortable around me or try to comfort me… because one day, I know that I'll get over you. It might not be any time soon, but I will."

He opened his mouth, but Lily held up a hand. "Just do that, okay? Because, most of all, I don't want to lose the friendship that I have with you."

"Lily Evans, you are something else," he said with a laugh, admiration in his eyes. "The guy who gets you had better know how damn lucky he is-"

She laughed and silenced him again, "I told you, no comforting," she smiled. That stupid proverb really was true. Though her heart ached slightly when she saw his happy smile, she felt as though a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. "Friends?" she asked, holding out a hand.

"'Course, Lily," he said, shaking her hand. "We always will be."

Lily grinned again and released his hand, abruptly wondering who he could like. "So," she said casually, "who's the lucky girl?"

"Umm…" he mumbled, deeply absorbed with his fingernails.

"She's a Gryffindor, isn't she?" she asked, enjoying his discomfort. He blushed and studied his fingernails even more seriously.

"I'll take that as a yes," she said triumphantly. "Is it Bridget from fourth year? Or how about Celeste from fifth? Natalie from sixth?"

He shook his head at each of then names; she frowned, setting her well-trained brain to work. Who had she seen him with… staring at… or talking to? During the Ball… did he dance with anyone besides her? She gasped, remembering, when James had cut in and passed Taylor over to Remus, he had hardly protested, instead seeming pleased… During the Quidditch game, how he'd wanted to sit with them after he heard Andrea say that they were there to cheer on her… And about every time she was around him, he'd blush… and when she talked to him…

She looked up and saw him looking down at her apprehensively. With a sly smile, she said triumphantly, "Taylor."

"What? How did you know- I mean, no- I mean, yes- I mean, umm… no!"

"So, it is true."

"What's true?"

"You suck at lying."

"I do not!" he protested, then he thought for a while. "Okay, maybe I do. How did you know?"

"There were so many hints," she chuckled, shaking her head. "I'm just amazed that I didn't see it before. So," she said again. "How long have you liked her?"

"About as long as you've liked me, I guess," he said. "I noticed her that day in the Hospital Wing…" he reminisced dreamily. "But you can't tell anyone!" he added.

"Why?" she asked in confusion.

"Nobody knows," he answered. "I just don't want her to know."

"Why don't you tell her then?" she said impatiently. "I know that she thinks you're cute."

"She does?" he said hopefully, then he seemed to deflate. "I can't… I just can't tell her… I'm not good enough for her."

Sensing that this was part of some internal struggle, Lily fell silent and went back to star gazing. "You like coming up here?" she asked after a few minutes.

"One of my favourite places," he said. "Barely anyone comes here because of all the rumors that they'll stumble upon some shagging couple… so it's pretty peaceful… and it's the best place to just relax on nights like this..." he made a wide gesture at the twinkling stars the decorated the inky sky. "It's just beautiful."

"I'd find it hard to believe," she said, choosing her words carefully. "That you, of all people, would think that anything related to the night sky is beautiful."

"I know," he muttered sadly. "At times like this, I just can't seem to hate it, because it has this immortal sort of beauty." Then, the meaning of her words sank in. He turned sharply to face her. "What? What do you mean?"

"I know, Remus," she replied. "I know."

"How? When?"

"Third year, I read ahead in our Defense Against the Dark Arts book, and it all came into place. I'll admit that when I have a crush on someone, I become rather like a stalker," she said sheepishly. "And I did notice that you disappeared every month, and your excuses? They weren't all that good."

"What do you mean?" he asked in confusion. "I could have a lot of sick relatives."

"Remus, so far you've had over fifty."

"I could have a large family."

"True. Let's not forget Uncle Hubert who died three times, or Cousin Larry who got the chicken pox five times, and of course Aunt Katy who got pneumonia after she was struck by lightning the month before."

"Oh."

"And the time in third year when I asked Sirius and Peter where you were, they said that you had a blocked Fallopian tube and needed medical attention."

"Damn. Should've known better than to trust those two. You'd think with all the experience Sirius has, he'd actually know this."

There was an awkward silence after his forced lightheartedness. "Do any your friends know?" he asked with difficulty.

"She doesn't know," answered Lily simply. "But I'm not sure about Andrea. She acts really oblivious, but she can pick up stuff that no one else sees, I guess that's how she knows who's going out with who and who's doing what."

Remus nodded warily and sighed.

"Remus, why did you hide it?"

He laughed bitterly, "Don't play with me, Lily. You know as well as I, I'm a monster. There's no pointing denying it," he turned away so that she couldn't see the hurt look on his face. "If people knew, they would treat me differently. I wouldn't be Remus Lupin anymore; I'd be The Werewolf. The dangerous beast who would eat you and kill you without a second thought. Nobody'd want to be around me anymore-"

"Tell me then, Remus," said Lily firmly, making him face her, "D'you think I look at you with aversion? Have I treated you so differently? Do I look at you in hallways and run away madly for fear that you'd decide to attack me suddenly?"

Remus looked stunned. "Y-you mean you really don't mind it?"

"For God's sake, I've known what you were for several years now! And you think I'm suddenly going to change because you know that I know?" she shook her head disbelievingly. "I don't care about your lycanthropy, I care about Remus Lupin. The student who hates Potions, the loyal friend to a bunch of prats, the guy who tutors students who are weaker than him, the-"

She stopped talking when he pulled her into a hug, his body shaking with emotion, in the distance she thought she hear a 'flump' of something falling, but the thought was blown away when she felt wetness on his cheeks. "Thank you, Lily," he said gratefully.

She returned his hug tentatively, encircling her arms around him and leaning against his chest. She stroked his back comfortingly. After what seemed to Lily like endless moments (apparently it was going to take one whole ton of work to rid herself of this crush.), he pulled away and smile shakily at her.

"Is this why you won't ask Taylor out?" she couldn't help asking after they drew away.

He compressed his lips. "Lily, what could I possibly offer her?" he asked sadly. "Let's be realistic here. I'll never be able to offer her decent home, or get a decent job. Let's face it, even if I do date her, I don't want to love her just to have her leave me when she finds out what I am."

"There are people who don't see you this way, Remus," said Lily, trying to be positive, trying not to remember how Taylor had mentioned how she was afraid of anything with sharp teeth and ripping claws. "Me, your friends…"

He smiled, "They've helped me so much… I've never been so happy before."

"Maybe they aren't as bad as they seem."

"They aren't," he said. "They just do things they don't mean sometimes."

The expression Remus had clearly meant that he was thinking of other things besides the Boggart.

……

_Lily, I know that I am far by the hugest, prickiest and most annoying prat in the world. I'm sorry for what I did with the Boggart today, and I'd never have done it if I'd known you were afraid of heights. I wasn't thinking clearly, I'm a complete idiot, and you can… can put a great fight with the Marauders any day, any time at anything. I shouldn't have underestimated you at all. So will you please, please, please forgive me? I'll do anything you want. I really never meant to hurt you, and I'm really, really sorry. _

This was the speech that he and Sirius had come up with. Though James was chanting it in his mind several times, he knew that he'd have a hard time choking out the words. Partly because of his pride, and partly because he knew he might say something incredibly stupid, obnoxious or just plain stutter as he seemed liable to do whenever he was near Lily.

He pulled his cloak around him when he saw a couple come walking by so they wouldn't spot him. He's wanted to bring the Map as well to lessen his chances of getting caught, but Remus still had it from their last Dungbombing of the Slytherin Common Room. Dropping by the Hospital Wing, he found that she had already slipped out. After banging on several broom closets, he found one near the stairs that was occupied (coincidentally the same one Lily had gone to for information.) and asked them to tell him where Lily Evans went. Relieved that they weren't in trouble even though it was the second time that night they were caught, they told him where to head.

When he neared the Tower, he heard Remus's slightly muffled voice, "I like you too."

And then came a soft murmur of words that he couldn't quite make out, except for the last few "… _like_ you, Remus."

James gave a loud gasp and stumbled backwards, but he tripped over a furry form… Mrs. Norris. She gave a loud mew and hissed, trying to spot the attacker. He growled in frustration and sprinted away as the cat followed his scent yowling loudly. The moment he reached the bottom of the stairs, he spotted Filch who was chasing after Mrs. Norris, it took him several secret passages and a good deal of running before they finally managed to escape.

Many minutes later he arrived at the Tower again out of breath. Without hesitation, eager to see what his mate and Lily were up to, he pushed the door open and strode in, only to see them…

Hugging…

He tripped over his own feet in astonishment and landed on the ground. He could see both of them because they were sideways. Remus's face was buried in Lily's hair as he held her tightly to him. He saw Lily embrace him back and lean against him with a blissful look and a happy smile. James felt a surge of jealousy. Lily never smiled at _him_ like that.

Getting up hastily he burned with anger, watching the both of them wrapped up in their own little world. His heart hurt and he refused to see anymore, he went away swiftly, his heart aching. Was she traumatized? Hardly. She certainly didn't look it if she was well enough to be out and about to meet at a place like the _Astronomy Tower_. The rage and envy squelched his earlier guilt; there was no way he was going to apologize. Who knows, maybe she had even been _faking_ the terror on that bloody broomstick to get Remus's attention.

Either way, he wasn't going to end the war.

In fact, it had just begun.

**A/N : Well… looks like James's impulsive and jealous side is getting the better of him again. I'd like to remind you that he isn't you know… bad or anything, just seriously possessive, even if Lily isn't actually his. So… most of their characters are quite complicated… and I'm going to try to portray them as best as I can in this fic. **

**Oh, and Andrea, the way she acts blur and manages to pick up stuff? That's like my best friend, half the time she's off in another world, but then she'll be like, okay, that guy likes that girl… Or, those two over there? They're going out. And every single time, she's right. It's kind of annoying when you want to keep it a secret sometimes. Grr.**

**Sooo**… **we've finally gotten to important events. I've been planning this chapter for some time now, but I'm sorry if the part after the broomstick sucked, because I just wrote it one the computer without actually, you know, thinking it through. I was so eager to get to it. Anyhow, the next few chapters after this, I've got a bunch of events planned, but my ideas are all jumbled up, so it depends on when I decide to let my mind wander the great planes of imagination that is my sanctuary. I'll figure it out sooner or later. I suck at planning.**

**As you can probably guess, this is going to be like one of those 'perfect world' situations where the Marauders hook up with Lily's friends. If it's any consolation, I'm going to try to make it as realistic as possible. You know, not the, 'Ooh, I hate him,' and then they kiss, and it's suddenly 'Wow, I'm in love'. Well… there will be conflict, and I hate it when the three words 'I love you', are just said like that. As if it has no special meaning, I mean, they're barely out on two dates before they say it for goodness sake! So… I'll try to make sure that there's a gradual development of feelings… and I'll do my best, basically.**

**That's all for now! It's one in the morning and I'm hiding in the dark with a laptop and my legs are being eaten alive by mosquitoes, you people had better appreciate this. I've got to go find some ointment. Ta-ta.**

**P.S. D'you know that I wrote about 9000 words? This is about 3000 words longer that any other chapter I've written! **

**OMG! About 60 reviews! You people are amazing! Hahahaha, I reached over 300!**


	11. The Wolf Speaks

**Disclaimer: I own naught of this great invention.**

**Author's note: Well, it's been beyond ages since I last updated. Sorry! Please don't kill me! I've just finished my exams and I've been having a hell of a time celebrating. I'd also like to dedicate my lack of updating to this HUGE writer's block I've been experiencing. And still experiencing, truth be told. This is an important chapter… I guess that's why I feel this overwhelming need to make it perfect. But I can't! (wails.) I've tried and tried and this is the best I've got. **

**Wait! Before I forget, I've got to address some issues. Ok, I don't know why, but Ffnet keeps canceling the little things I use to separate the situation. This, I believe was what created a lot of confusion in Chapter 10. It's not because I DIDN'T do it, it's 'cause it got cancelled 3 times. So, I hope it won't happen again in this chapter, but if it does, sorry.**

**Okay, this is a reply to _Song of Stars _who pointed out that in one of the chapters, there were pranks involving both groups looking idiots right? You know, forcing each other to do weird things. Well, she said that one usually needed an imperious curse to do it, but if I'm not mistaken, there are spells that just make you do one specific thing, as demonstrated in Harry Potter. Wasn't it some hex that made you tap dance? So, I'm under the impression that there are loads more spells and they can probably do what I wrote about.**

**Also, there was an issue about why Lily and the others didn't have slightly silly fears too. Well, actually, I think they do. See, James and co probably have serious depressing all too real fears, but Lily and gang just used their ridiculous ones. I'm sure, that if James had dug deeper, he'd probably have found some harmless idiotic fear ofLily's.**

**Oh, there were also a few people saying that I didn't separate situations. Well, I did, or at least, I tried to. See, I kept putting in the little star things, but FFNet kept canceling it. Just wanted to clear that up. Also, there was a question I put about deleting reviews. Yeah… but I'm pretty sure signed reviews got deleted too. Well, anyway, I remember one asking me why the heck was Remus not on the Marauder's side. Well, remember in the latest book, Sirius said that Remus managed to make them feel guilty and occasionally put his foot down. I'm assuming that this is one of those times. I can't remember who said that, but really, I don't think Remus would be so impulsive or disloyal, especially when he has friends on both sides.**

**One more thing! READ! A few people asked me to e-mail them when I updated, and I tried, but I just couldn't get to a few addresses, including _hawaiike and, twistedtwin._**

"You'd better hurry, you know," said Andrea suddenly after a few minutes of the silent scratching of quills.

"Huh?" asked Remus in confusion.

Though he was somewhat used to Andrea's strange comments and even stranger antics by now, having had several weeks to get used to it, he still started at her abrupt way of jumping into the middle of non-existent conversations. Ever since he'd saved Lily from what was sure to be a gory death, her friends had warmed up to him considerably, talking with him every now and then… and particularly in Andrea's case, copying his homework.

Which explained what she was doing right then.

After the case with the Boggart, James had clammed up; acting so moody that even Remus had given up trying to talk (shout more like.) sense into him. Sirius and Peter had both apologized profusely and declared the war over, much to the relief and disappointment to the rest of the school. Later, the former had turned himself in and had narrowly avoided being suspended while successfully receiving the most detentions in Hogwarts history. The latter was conveniently missing.

Strangely enough, though James did turn himself in with Sirius, he didn't approach the girls. Lily took this as a personal insult. Even if one argued that she had used the same tactic, it was obvious that she had at least weighed the consequences of her actions, ensuring that no one would come to any harm. Besides that, he had said no word of calling the war off.

Instead, it seemed like a new one had begun.

There were no more pranks, that was for sure. James had learnt his lesson in that. Now, he resorted to more… explosive… simple… traditional ways.

And immature ones, really.

Basically, hexing her every chance he got.

He also did annoying little things that he knew irritated her to no end. For example, throwing strange things into her Potion mixtures so that they exploded in her face, flicking bits of balled up parchment at her, putting Filibuster fireworks in her satchel so her homework would burst into flame… to round all this up adeptly… what a first year was capable off. If what Lily thought he did was immature before, it was nothing compared to this new bout of tricks. It wasn't harmful, just very, very aggravating.

Not that Lily wasn't more than willing to hex him in return.

Yet, sometimes they were both unbearably confusing, for a few days they would ignore each other completely and refuse to acknowledge that the other person was even alive, and the next they'd be back at each other's throats. Even so, James was known to be very bad tempered during the periods of time when they were giving each other the cold shoulder.

"What d'you mean?" said Remus, wondering whether he would regret asking.

Andrea just shrugged and raised an eyebrow towards the portrait hole. If you strained your ears, you could hear faint laughter outside. Just then, the portrait swung open, allowing Mark Rogers and Taylor to walk in. Mark whispered something into Taylor's ear before they both flopped down on armchairs.

Remus stiffened and tried to keep a neutral tone, gripping his quill tightly, "What's she doing with him?"

"Oh," said Andrea casually, "you know, the usual few dates… bit of holding hands… bit of kissing…"

Remus's quill snapped.

"So… they're in a… _relationship_?" he asked, spitting out the last word with distaste.

"She's not his girlfriend, yet," she replied. Remus let out a sigh of relief. "_Yet_," she repeated. "But she's getting there. I'm thinking… two more days before he asks her."

"Oh," was all he could manage.

"She likes you, you know," she added pointedly, seeing a spark of joy in Remus's eyes, "but she doesn't like you enough to ask you out or wait around for you to ask. If you don't get a move on, she'll stick with Rogers, I think she's starting to actually fancy him now."

Remus wanted to reply, then paused. With obvious difficulty, he said, "You know, don't you?"

She nodded, "Since second year."

"Then you know what's stopping me."

"What I do know is that you're both still young," said Andrea. "Youth isn't supposed to be filled with endless demands and responsibilities," her eyes steadily darkened as she continued. "Or… high achievements. I'm not saying that I don't want you to be serious with her, I'm just saying loosen up and have fun." she stared into the fire, her face tight. "Like I want to."

Remus was tempted to ask her what she meant, but the look on her face warned him not to. "I want to," he said quietly. "I want to so badly, but I don't want to hurt her."

"Look," she sighed, staring into his eyes, "I'm far from the best person to give you advice, but here goes. Your condition takes control over you once a month, will you let it control your whole life?"

She got up and walked away.

Remus gazed blankly at the spot she had sat before he realized something.

"Oy! Give me back my homework!"

……

In the Great Hall during breakfast, one could say that things were tense. What, with Lily and James gripping their wands under the table, ready to attack each other with the slightest provocation, like several days ago, for example. Lily had shot a full body bind at James for 'looking sneaky'. James had sent back a skipping hex for 'being bossy'. The students too, were tense. When the two of them began to duel, it was best to run for cover. Judging by the lines etched on the opponents' faces, anyone with half a brain would know what was to come. Many of them were wolfing down their breakfast, eager to get further away from the coming maelstrom.

Even through the palpable fear that was in the air, several students (girls in particular.) vaguely wondered why Remus Lupin was stabbing the rather innocent looking baked beans on his plate every time he looked down the table… where, coincidentally, Taylor and Mark were sitting. Things were already bad enough, but they were about to get a lot worse.

When the owl post arrived, one particular bird stood out above the rest. The eagle owl was an elegant mix of silver and black, soaring with the other owls with unusual grace and slight foreboding. It landed directly in front of Andrea and gave her a strangely disapproving look.

Immediately, she choked on her pumpkin juice and sprayed it in owl's face.

An onlooker could swear that it actually sniffed.

"What's wrong, Andy?" asked Lily, finally lowering her wand.

She shook her head wordlessly and pointed to the bird dripping in juice.

"Oh my Lord," said Taylor, echoing the thoughts of all three girls.

With quavering hands, Andrea untied the letter attached to its leg. Before it flew off, it sniffed and gave her another snooty look. Lily and Taylor leaned over her shoulder to read it.

"_Andrea Persephone,_

_As you are predictably lounging around on you lazy arse in Hogwarts, underachieving and letting that brain of yours rot, I have decided to try and correct your embarrassing behavior. **Again**._

_The moment my busy schedule lets up, (not all of us are like you, after all, some of us actually want to make something of ourselves.) I'm coming to Hogwarts. I believe that you need **real **adult supervision in your useless life. So, I'll be checking up on your attitude, behavior and grades. Particularly the social circles in which you mix. Are you still associating with that ill-blooded Muggle born? I'm telling you, Andrea Persephone, as a member of the Rose legacy, you really should watch your behavior._

_Now, I will be judging as to whether or not to reconsider the discussion your soft-boned father and I had at the beginning of your school term. This will all depend on the overall impression that you give me._

_Somehow, I doubt that it will be a good one. You, my daughter, **will** do what I wish you to, despite all vehement protests._

_Yours,_

_Priscilla L' Amore-Rose."_

Andrea's face took upon a blank expression that Lily knew all too well, even though she'd only seen it several times, all on the same occasion. Her dark eyes narrowed and focused on the letter, mouth tightening. Suddenly, it floated several inches above the table before bursting into a ball of flame. Calmly, she stood up before walking out of the hall stiffly, aware that all eyes were on her due to the wandless magic she'd just performed.

Lily and Taylor looked at each other briefly and nodded. Simultaneously, they pushed their chairs back and walked out quickly, avoiding questions concerning Andrea's peculiar behavior.

……

Sometime in the middle of the day, Andrea appeared for Transfiguration. If you looked closely, you'd notice that the edges of her eyes were slightly red. She walked up to Professor McGonagall and whispered something. Instead of taking off house points like she usually did for tardy students, she merely nodded and pointed Andrea to her seat.

"As I was saying," continued Professor McGonagall crisply, immediately discouraging any questions about her unusual softness, "we will have to start working harder than ever as Mock NEWTs are just around the bend. These results will help you determine what you are suitable for in the future. Hence, we can start writing letters of recommendation and search for suitable scholarships. Now, the result slips of this exam will be sent to your parents for their approval-"

She paused when Andrea began to cough violently, apparently having choked on her own saliva.

When she had finished hacking up her left lung, she croaked, "You mean that our parents will see our marks? Every single one?"

"Yes, Ms. Rose," she replied, a flicker of sympathy crossing her face. She added, "However, certain Professors are willing to give extra lessons to students."

The Marauders glanced at each other, taking in Andrea's stark, worried face, McGonagall's rare kind expression and Lily and Taylor's frowns.

See if they didn't find out what was going on.

……

When Andrea stumbled into her dorm after wandering around the school in a haze of worry, she couldn't help but be slightly surprised at the transformation it had undergone in her absence.

Instead of the usual large four-poster beds and armchairs, there was a chalkboard, two desks and what looked like half the library. Taylor was already sitting at one of the desks.

"Welcome to the 7th Year Girls' Charms study group," said Lily in her most professional voice. "Today, we'll be going over the commonly asked questions in our exams which I have researched thoroughly and statistics that-"

"You guys," whispered Andrea, her eyes going misty, cutting Lily off, "I- you- I-…" she trailed off, "I'm sorry, you know I'm not good with emotional stuff."

The other two rushed to her and hugged. They stayed there in that Hallmark position before Andrea broke the silence. "Well this is a touching scene," she said, recovering from her earlier speechlessness, ruining the moment. "I feel it's fair to warn you two that I'm going to become a nervous blubbering wreck till the visit."

"But why?" asked Lily. "You've never been this worried before."

"Because this time she's serious," she answered with a dry laugh. "It was this 'discussion' we had before the term started…"

As she relayed the story to them, their faces mirrored the same fear and worry as her own.

"C'mon Andy," said Lily comfortingly, "remember the OWLs? You studied two weeks before hand and you managed 11 OWLs and 1 'E'!"

"Sure, you seemed to have permanent bags under your eyes at the time, had horrendous hair, snapped at everyone who disturbed you, and slept less than an hour a day, but you did it!"

"Don't give me another one of those lectures the professors always give," sighed Andrea, sniffling, "about how I'm actually smart with loads of unfulfilled talent, but too lazy to do anything."

"Which you are."

"Right then," said Taylor briskly, wiping her eyes, "we've just got to make sure that _her_ plans don't happen. Anyway, we've already formed and scheduled, well… Lily scheduled, our timetable. We'll study in groups with a leader, that's the person amongst us who's best in the subject. I'm in charge of History of Magic and Potions. You'll do Transfiguration and DADA. Lily will be doing Herbology, Divination, and, of course, Charms."

"Divination?" she echoed doubtfully. She turned to Lily. "My new shoes have more Divination-y talent thingamajig than you."

"You were the one who told Professor Leinberg that she was going to dress tackily for the rest of the year during out test!"

"I was right, wasn't I? Besides, I got an 'O' during the OWLs!"

"So did I!"

"How did you two manage that?"

"Umm… I told the guy that he would achieve great fortune if he entered lucky draws, and I wore this adorable gauzy scarf!"

"Did he?"

"With a little help from Daddy's contacts in the Ministry, yeah. Won the Grand Galleon Draw. How 'bout you, Lily?"

"I told the woman that she'd fall in love. She married two weeks later."

"That was Professor Richton, right? Didn't she also get divorced?"

"That was after she gave me my grade."

"Some how, I think Andrea's better off sticking to her misty voice and gauzy scarves," said Taylor, "she does it spookier."

And so, the three friends burst into laughter, their worries of being parted forgotten, at least for the moment. But behind Andrea's cheery laugh was an unquenchable fear, born from her mother's upcoming visit.

……

While Andrea and the rest of the 7th years were frantically cramming in all they could into their strained brains, Remus was having another dilemma, and it was taking a toll on his studies. It seemed that whenever Taylor was anywhere near him, regardless as to whether or not Mark Rogers was with her, he would end up gazing at her blankly instead of studying.

As a result, he didn't know much about the Goblin rebellion of 1726, but he did know about that Taylor liked to tap her quill against her lip when she was thinking hard, and that she had a little beauty mark underneath her chin… and she had to push her hair back every time she bent down since it got into her eyes… and that she liked sitting in the armchair in the corner, sometimes with her friends, sometimes alone… and she had three, exactly three, tiny freckles on the bridge of her nose.

Not that he'd been staring at her or anything.

The only place he could probably study without bumping into her was his dorm. Sadly, James and Sirius seemed to have taken it upon themselves to try and grow fungi underneath their beds, so there was usually a strange smell in their room. That, and something had apparently mutated from the wheel of cheese Peter had nicked when he'd given into his rat cravings, that something seemed to like to steal socks.

For the umpteenth time, he glanced at her. She, Lily and Andrea were hunched over books. He tilted his chair to get a better view. The general male population didn't think she was quite as striking as Lily or Andrea. Her features were average, with deep brown eyes, short, flyaway hair and tanned skin, but her warm manner and demeanor was what really made her stand out. Lord, in his eyes, she was beautiful.

He tilted his chair back even more to admire the glow of the firelight dancing on her face.

"Remus Lupin?"

"Ya-ah-ah!"

Remus lost his balance when the voice startled him, causing him to land flat on his back. The resounding crash resulted with many puzzled stares in his direction. He lay on the ground and saw the face of a scared-looking first year looming over him. Suddenly, the face was pushed away and he saw the soft features that had been constantly haunting him in its place.

"Are you okay?" Taylor asked in concern. She took his hands and pulled him up. Students who'd been staring after his fall turned back to their books, but Lily and Andrea watched, a secretive smile on their lips.

"I- I'm … fine… fine," he muttered, pushing his sandy hair away. Of all the times for her to notice him, why now?

"Don't you know that you shouldn't sneak up on people like that when they're…" she rounded up on the first year in a motherly tone, "when they're… umm… what were you doing, Remus?"

"Ahm," he stalled, studying the carpet. Staring at you like I've been doing obsessively for the past three weeks as if I were some sort of deranged stalker? Not the best answer to give, "I was… err… resting my eyes?"

"Yeah," said Taylor, turning back to the first year, "when they're resting their eyes!" she looked at Remus, "Was that a question or a statement?"

"Err…"

"S-sorry, but Madam Pomfrey asked me to tell Mr. Lupin to go to the Hospital Wing," she stuttered.

"Are you ill?" asked Taylor worriedly, putting a hand to his forehead, making him flush harder. "You're awfully red."

"Well… just feeling a bit… off colour, so I need to get to the Hospital Wing…" he managed to choke out, realizing even in his harried state of mind that Madam Pomfrey probably wanted to see him about his lycanthropy.

"Need me to walk you there?" she offered. "I don't see any of the other Marauders around."

"_No!" _he exclaimed, cursing himself when he saw her slightly hurt expression. "I've got a… a… very contagious… mutant hybrid rash! Got to go get medication! Bye!"

He dashed out the Common Room, leaving Taylor staring at the spot he'd been, muttering to herself, "A mutant hybrid rash?"

……

"A mutant hybrid rash?" wailed Remus to himself, hitting his head on a nearby pillar, successfully drawing curios stares. "Of all the things I could have said!" he groaned, trooping despondently towards the Hospital Wing, deciding not to hit himself anymore, lest he get a concussion. "I could have had a flu, cough, fever, anything! _But a mutant hybrid rash!"_

His exclamation sent several students scurrying away.

"I'll be lucky if she ever dares to came within ten feet of me again," he said sadly, entering the Wing.

"Madam Pomfrey," he called out, "you wanted to see me?"

"Remus," she said, ushering him into the private room he used. "Not to worry, there's no one here tonight. The students have suspiciously quiet lately, no doubt I'll get a barrage of them tomorrow. But in the mean time, at least you have privacy."

She turned around and took out a large bottle of liquid that he'd never seen before and began to pour it into a mug.

"This is a new Potion the Ministry has been working on," she explained, passing it to him. "It can't cure lycanthropy, but it can reduce the harshness of the werewolf mind so that you won't hurt yourself so much during the transformation."

Remus nodded, not wanting to tell her that the Marauders already had that situation covered.

"You see, the theory is that this Potion will bring out a bit of the wolf in you after you drink it. You won't lose control and start biting people, of course," she added quickly, seeing his expression. "It'll act on what you want to do as a _human_, just making you more… well wolfish, reckless, cunning, that sort of thing. It's already been experimented on volunteers in the Ministry," she said, seating him on the bed, "and it does work. Now, they're trying to evolve it into something else, something called the Wolfsbane Potion." She frowned. "Can't say they're having much luck, though."

"Madam Pomfrey," said Remus, "I will be able to control myself, right? Even if it is just my human… desires."

"Yes," she said, "unless it's a particularly strong desire or you're a very determined person. But we've prepared for every eventuality. We'll keep you here for the night and lock the doors. With a dose of Sleeping Draught, the most harm you'll get will be a restless night. Don't be surprised if you're feverish though, that's just a harmless side effect."

He nodded again and pulled the curtains around the bed shut, changing into the spare set of pajamas that was kept there for him. It was kind of sad how used he was to all this.

"Bottoms up," he said to himself, grabbing the cup and swallowing the greenish contents. It took all his self-control not to spew it back out. After forcing himself to choke it down, he began coughing uncontrollably.

"It tastes like paste and pond scum," he croaked. How he knew what that tasted like? James and Sirius, first year. "Can't I add sugar?"

"Sugar will only make it useless," said Madam Pomfrey, bustling in and setting the Sleeping Draught in front of him.

After he drank it, he lay back on the bed, watching the room begin to swirl around hazily. Though sleepy, he could feel the wolf starting to stir somewhere within him. The wolf felt fearless tonight.

The last image he saw before he dozed off was a pair of shining brown eyes and a cheerful smile.

"Mutant… hybrid rash… honestly…" he half mumbled through a yawn.

……

The wolf stirred, opening its eyes slowly. This was strange, it thought, sniffing the air. It smelt humans. Immediately, it was on its guard.

_Where was its burning_ _desire to run free and howl? Where was the musty smell of dust and grime, the old shack, the place it met the strange animals it frolicked with? And most importantly, where was the full moon that often drove it mad?_

_The wolf tried to rise, but found its body leaden and stiff, as though pushed down by some unexplainable force. It was tired…it realized, which was strange for the wolf. For the first time, it experienced human fatigue._

_Human?_

_That was a strange word, though it shared a body with one once a month. It sluggishly rolled over to lift itself and stopped short, instead of seeing a furry paw with wicked gleaming claws, there was a human hand, complete with four fingers and an opposable thumb._

_Maybe it was the shock or sudden movement, but abruptly, another force invaded its mind._

_What? The presence said drowsily, immediately, the wolf found its body obeying it instead, reaching up with one hand to rub an eye. Then the wolf understood, it was the child, the boy!_

_Suddenly, the wolf felt flooded with…with feeling. Instead of its own longing and misery, the want to roam the land and obey its instincts, it was now attacked by a wave of unfamiliar emotions. In the whirl of strange places, situations and faces that it was seeing, one image seemed to be more prominent. It was female. She had almond shaped brown eyes; slightly upturned nose and her rather thin lips were curved into a warm friendly smile. The wolf felt a strong emotion that the boy was feeling when the face came to mind._

_Was it… embarrassment?_

_Mutant hybrid rash… groaned the boy to himself._

_Hah? _

_It was then that it struck the wolf; the boy obviously had some sort of emotional attachment to that female. It was looking for a mate! Now this was an activity the wolf could understand. Almost immediately, it began to gain control._

……

Remus grumpily tried to banish Taylor's face from his mind. It was bad enough that he was, feeling wolfish, feverish and restless, he didn't need to add humiliation to the mix.

Abruptly, he felt something stirring in his sub-consciousness, it was… peculiar to say the least, feeling foreign yet so… so… normal at the same time. He started as he realized that that _thing_ was invading his mind. He tried to fight it, but his efforts were in vain. As it steadily rose, he felt his temperature rise with it, and his thinking became clouded and hazy. It was almost as if it was melding with him… their thoughts and feelings becoming one.

Not quite in control anymore, feeling distant, like a viewer watching a Quidditch match, he rose from his bed, with a face on his mind and a name on his lips.

……

_Taylor._

Remus wandered through the hallways, dimly aware that he'd just used one of the hidden passageways in the Hospital Wing to get out. He couldn't really concentrate or focus on what he was doing, the only thing he knew was that he had to find Taylor.

_He had to find Taylor._

It was like an annoying echo ringing in his head, he just had to find her… and then… well, he didn't know. He sniffed the air like the wolf that inhabited him, his senses as sharp as its own. He knew Taylor's scent; he knew it all too well. It was the faint, sweet smell of apples on a warm autumn day. The kind that made you feel lazy and at peace as you swung on a hammock and read a novel. Or was that just him being a hopeless romantic?

He quickened his pace, picking up hints of the tangy smell. He followed it, certainly a peculiar sight had anyone been watching, bending down to the ground every once in a while, smelling the walls and walking in a haphazard manner. He traced it till he stopped outside a portrait of the Hogwarts crest. Remus recognized it as the Prefect's Lounge, it was likely that Lily had given her the password. The trail was strongest there, he knew that she had come here a few hours ago, and was probably still inside.

Without hesitation, he gave the password and entered, immediately spotting Taylor by the fireplace. She was hunched over a large textbook, a half-chewed quill in her hand and crumpled parchment littered all around her. She looked half-dead, ink was smeared all over her face, her hair was sticking up in odd angles and her eyes were half closed with bags under them. Yet she'd never looked more beautiful to Remus.

He moved forward silently, so quiet that she only realized he was there when he stood right in front of her.

"Remus!" she gasped, jumping slightly. "You look… well… horrible. Why aren't you in the hospital wing?"

Remus paid her words no heed, except to glance at a glass nearby, confirming that he did look horrible. His entire face was flushed from his fever, he had a wild look in his eyes and he looked mussed and lost in his pajamas. He moved towards her, the wolf in him not caring in the least about appearances.

"Taylor," he said blearily. At his strange tone, she pushed herself further away from him.

"Remus," she said, forcing herself up and putting a hand on his forehead, her concern winning over her fear. "Oh god, you're burning up! Was it the rash? Did it give you a fever?"

"Taylor," he repeated. "Do you know how much it tortures me to see you with Rogers?"

"Huh?" yelped Taylor, stunned. "Remus, I think the fever is making you babble. You're not thinking clearly-"

"I'm thinking far clearer than I've had in years," he said, moving closer, making her fall on the sofa. "I like you Taylor. I've liked you ever since first year when I clapped my eyes on you in the Hospital Wing."

"Remus…" she said again, not knowing what else to say.

He held up a hand to stop her. "Don't, Taylor. Don't say anything. I've harbored this crush for years, and now, I'm coming straight out to tell you. I like everything about you, how you're so kind and helpful to the extent that you'd even come near me after I told you I have a mutant hybrid rash. I adore the way you laugh, the way you smile, the way your eyes shine when you're happy until it looks like you're glowing with a beauty that no other girl could possibly have. Heck! I'd probably love the way you cry too, if it weren't for the fact that you're hurt when you do."

Taylor opened her mouth to say something, but Remus cut her off. "I worship the ground you walk on and the feet that do the walking. There may not be anything in this world that's perfect, maybe because everyone has a different idea as to what perfect is, but you… you are perfect, to me at least. And even if you aren't, you're as close to perfect as can be."

"Please, Taylor," he implored feverishly, grasping her hands tightly, aware that he was getting drowsier by the moment, (maybe the Sleeping Draught was kicking in again.) but he refused to go back to sleep until he'd said all that he'd kept bottled up inside him. "Please say that you like me, at least a little!"

**(A/N: I know this is a totally dramatic moment worthy of some stretched out drama, but… sorry, I can't think of anything else.)**

"Remus, I-" she choked, thoroughly at loss for words now.

He leaned in slowly, giving her every chance to draw away, wanting to do what he'd longed for years. Instead of pulling back or pushing him away, she moved towards him, half closing her eyes. And then, like the magical moment that one always dreams off, their lips touched. Sparks flew and fireworks whooshed, they deepened the kiss, the world closing in to just the both of them, as though nothing else mattered. Remus broke away from the kiss suddenly, blinked once and his head fell to her lap. He was asleep instantly, ruining a moment worthy of any corny Muggle romance movie. Though a less well-dressed hero and heroine you could not find.

Taylor lay back against the couch, her mind reeling from what had just happened. She shifted her eyes to the sleeping boy and she touched her lips again. Pinching herself hard, she wondered if anything that had just happened was real.

It hurt.

Which didn't make matters any simpler. Remus seemed to mean what he said; the fever had obviously loosened his tongue, she reasoned, but then again, what of Mark? She looked at him again, and stroked his cheek. What answer could she possibly give him?

……

Remus awoke to the bright sunlight prodding his eyelids. Squinting, he realized that he was most certainly _not_ in the Hospital Wing. He twisted his head and saw the remains of a fire and notes strewn all over the place. He frowned, where was he and what had happened?

He stiffened when he felt the pillow below him shift. Looking up, he saw Taylor's sleepy face, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Abruptly, the memories came rushing back, all he'd said last night, how he'd pleaded her to say she liked him… and most importantly, the kiss that made him feel as though he'd just jumped over the moon. He blushed furiously and sat up, resisting the temptation to run to his dorm and hide.

He opened his mouth, hoping that something witty would come out, anything that would break the awkward silence that hung so tenuously in the air. "Umm…"

He winced, that wasn't right.

"Morning," said Taylor with an unreadable expression on her face. She jiggled her leg either out of nervousness, or because it was numb.

"Ahm… M-morning," he croaked, his throat feeling dry, refusing to meet her eyes.

"Tell me, Remus," she said slowly, turning to face him. "Did you mean what you said last night, or were you just delirious from the fever?"

"Taylor," he said softly, "I doubt I've ever spoken a truer word. Everything I said, every syllable I uttered, was exactly what I've been feeling since that fateful day I met you. Do you remember it?"

She shook her head slowly, "Only vaguely," she said, not missing the hint of disappointment in his eyes. "It's been years, time has its way of blurring things."

"Well I do," he said, "I remember every line, every expression I saw on your face when I came into the Hospital Wing with Lily. I even remember what bed you were in and the first words you said to me."

"What did I say to you?"

"'D'you want a grape?'" said Remus with a fond smile.

"You didn't want one," she said with a laugh. "Now I remember," she hesitated. "But do _you_ remember what you asked me last night?"

Remus clenched his teeth in anticipation of the answer he dreaded and wanted. "Yes."

"No."

"Oh," he said, trying to ignore the crushing disappointment in his chest. "W-well, that's alright, really. You don't have to like me-"

"I don't like you a little," she continued as though he hadn't spoken. "I like you a lot."

"Oh," he said again, in a far different tone this time.

"D'you know how long I've liked you?"

"Umm… no."

"Since the middle of 4th year, when James started tormenting Lily," she said with a smile. "I noticed you because you were the only one of the Marauders who didn't whole-heartedly support teasing and hexing and trophy girlfriends and whatnot."

"Thank you, James and stubborn obsession," he muttered to himself. His face shone with unhidden happiness. Then, as abruptly as the happy look on his face appeared, it was gone. "I'll understand if you like Mark Rogers more than me though," he said with difficulty. "I mean, just because I really like you doesn't mean I expect you to break up with him for me or anything, after all-"

She gave him a look that cut off his babbling. "Mark and I aren't together," she said with a sigh. "He's fun to be with and everything, but I'm not sure if I want him to be my boyfriend. It's just, I don't know how to say this, but I think relationships are really special, and they ought to have this… this…"

"Spark?"

"Exactly!" she exclaimed. "And I know that Mark and I don't have that. I guess that I was hoping that it would come in time. But… when you kissed me last night… I guess… I knew that this was what a relationship should feel like…"

"In that case," he said, taking in a deep breath, "Taylor, after pining for you for almost 7 long years, I'm going to voice the words I've said to you in my dreams. Will you be my girlfriend?"

Taylor blushed and smiled, "Yes."

And again, with sunlight streaming around them, the happy couple drew close and kissed. For a while, in the confused, wonderful, chaotic world that was Hogwarts, those two people were blissfully happy.

At least for the moment.

……

**A/N: Well, that's it for Chapter 11 folks. I don't know whether you like it, I'm not even sure I like it. I guess that to me, it feels stunted, because I kept getting writer's block. And I'm far from satisfied about the scene with Remus and Taylor, but I can't quite think of any way to improve it. L I also wrote it without a draft, I'm not sure why I always end up writing the more important scenes without a draft, maybe I'm just plain lazy. Which is very likely.**

**So, Remus and Taylor have finally gotten together. Things are developing all around, and you guys are about a chapter or two away from discovering what made Lily hate James so much.**

**IMPORTANT! READ THIS! In this chapter, the last few scenes, there was one sentence that's I've written that gives you a hint about the whole thing James did in first year. I mean, it's not about what he did… it's just… well, you'll understand when I write it out.**

**I also cancelled out another event I wanted to happen in this chapter, because I thought it was long enough. Hence, in the next chappie, you will see major happenings. In fact, these next few chapters are all important. So… well, I hope I manage to portray it as well as I want to. I'll either be able to update soon, or I won't, see, I'm in danger of getting chicken pox. If I get chicken pox, I'll have a lot of spare time on my hands. But if I don't which I sincerely hope I won't, I'll be busy, because the cheerleading camp that I've been working on day and night, that I've organized and baked a thousand cookies to help fund, is coming up. I've also got to attend rehearsals for the school musical, or I won't be one of the 8 girls performing, instead, I'll be a reserve. (sour look.)**

**So, do me a favour and pray that I don't fall sick, and I'll do everything in my power to update soon.**

**Please?**

**Well, on to review replies.**

A/N: The end of another chapter, I'm sorry if it didn't live up to all your expectations… but these next few chapters are really important! Things are so in motion right now! Sooo… keep reading… and if you're really nice… review? (hopeful look.)


	12. So Much To Do, So Little Time

**Disclaimer: Sod off, I own nothing.**

**A/N: You know what? I am _so _sick of this. This is the third time I've written the stupid chapter out! I started 2 weeks ago, then my computer broke down _again_, and has yet to return. So, I wrote again and was smart enough to save it on a diskette the second time when typing on my brother's laptop. Sadly, his bloody laptop was infected by a virus, so it went to the shop. Now, I'm using yet another laptop, but this one can't accept diskettes! Bah! You lot better appreciate this!**

**Ignore the sulkiness, am in very bad mood right now.**

**Oh yeah. I'm not sure about this chapter really… I think it's the after effects of author's block. I'm used to getting a steady stream of ideas, but in this case, it was like '_Ideas!... no ideas… ideas! … no ideas…'. _So, I'm just not sure how good this chapter is, but I've been planning it for quite a while now. **

**P.S. Show said appreciation by reviewing!**

**Oh yeah, I remember someone asking me a few chapters ago why I didn't describe scenes or Remus' transformation. Well, this is because I want this fic to be humourous. You'll notice that I haven't mentioned Voldemort or all those other depressing things because I just don't want to weigh it all down with depression. That, and I feel that loads of other people have already written it, I doubt I'd be able to put my own spin on things since it's been retold so many times. And, I'm a lazy bum.**

**OY! PEOPLE! READ! There was a question about Lily's self-control etc. Basically, Lily's trying to stop herself from hexing James, but she isn't doing a good job. What she has quit completely is pranking. She does make an effort to walk away, but James manages to push her buttons, and we all know she doesn't have the best temper in the world.**

**As for the Wolfsbane Potion as brought up by Elladora D. Jobberknoll. the thing given to Remus was NOT the Wolfsbane Potion. It's like in the process of inventing the Wolfsbane Potion, there had to be several precedents, right? Anyway, that was just one of the more successful ones, so they're using that but still trying to get the Potion itself right.**

**Also, Remus did not change physically. You see, it was all in his mind; it was like the wolf took over his instincts and whatnot. He didn't change; it's just the wolf there, nothing physical. Basically just spiritual and mental! Oh, and about the not being able to e-mail people and not finishing the sentence, that's just me completely forgetting about it. I have the attention span of a gnat.**

It was one of those times again.

One of those, Lily ignored James, James retaliated by ignoring Lily, Lily countered by ignoring James's efforts to ignore Lily, hence resulting with a very irate James Potter.

_Scrrrreeeeeeek._

Remus, Taylor, Peter and Sirius winced at the sound of James bending his fork when he stabbed his bacon too hard.

Lily merely flipped to the next page of her Transfiguration textbook.

Now, you will notice that Andrea wasn't mentioned in any of this, for true to her word, she had become a nervous blithering wreck. If her friends hadn't known her so well, they would hardly have recognize her as the bouncy, composed person she was two weeks ago.

Her hair was in disarray, sticking up in the oddest angles possible, her skin was stark and drawn, contrasting against the large purple shadows under her eyes, making her somewhat resemble a raccoon. And her eyes… her once sparkling cerulean eyes had lost their glow, leaving in its wake a wild frenzied look. These days, it was not uncommon to see her with three large textbooks in front of her at a time, her eyes blurring over the words as she proved herself to have mastered the art of multitasking.

Now, she was flipping frantically through a thick Potion textbook, mumbling to herself all the while, "3ounces of dragon liver… eye of newt… bezoar…"

Many students were bewildered by her appearance and behavior, but none seemed to know the true reason behind her obsessive studying. In the end, they satisfied themselves by making up wild rumours about how her once wealthy family was now bankrupt, forcing her to take on certain nightly 'duties' to pay off loan sharks. So, she studied in hopes of getting a more respectable career.

Several boys who had whole-heartedly believed this and approached her for said 'services' received a swift kick in the groin and several nights in the Hospital Wing.

Taylor tore her eyes away from a seething James and looked at Remus briefly, who inched his head from side to side. She knew what he meant; it was hardly the best time to tell his friends. She gave a barely audible sigh, wishing it could be out in the open. She'd already told Lily and Andrea. The former had congratulated her heartily, though a flicker of pain was seen in her eyes, the latter had managed a tired smile before falling asleep on her Charms book.

She sighed again and turned to Andrea. Carefully cutting up a pancake into bite-sized slices, she speared the pieces with a fork and waved it in front of Andrea's face. Without giving the barest sign that she'd even noticed anything there, she opened her mouth, allowing Taylor to shove the food inside. After a few minutes of chewing, Lily held a goblet of coffee (for caffeine.) to Andrea's lips and took a napkin to gently pat the trickles of black liquid that had dribbled down her chin.

This obviously caused some talk in the Great Hall, yet several students remembered witnessing a rather similar scene two years ago. The Marauders had pestered their one source of information: Taylor, but she just said, 'Exams.'. When Remus had refused to accept that, she answered. "It's Andrea's secret, so it's not my place to tell you. After all, don't you and the Marauders have loads of stuff you can't tell me?"

That caused him to shut up.

As Taylor spooned scrambled eggs into Andrea's open mouth and absently smoothed her friend's mussed hair, she couldn't help feeling that things were stretched to the breaking point. Just the other night, Andrea had shaken her awake roughly at 3 in the morning because she'd been muttering incoherent words in her sleep. She'd demanded to know what Taylor had been dreaming about so she could interpret it. When Taylor had replied that she couldn't quite remember, she'd said that that obviously meant the world was about to be struck by a giant flying cow and burst into a round of mad laughter.

Right.

And as Taylor often was with feelings, she was spot on. The tense situation stretched and stretched and stretched… until it sort of… broke.

……

"_I can't take it anymore_!

It was Andrea who'd shrieked those five words (Well, six, if you count the contraction.) that had been running through just about everybody's heads of late. She stood up from her armchair and violently threw her heavy textbook away, striding over to Remus and Taylor with the distinct aura of madness.

Sirius raised an eyebrow while Peter inched away from her when she sat in between them. Normally, he'd have made a snarky comment, but taking in her disheveled appearance, he simply didn't have the heart to.

"What is it, Andy?" said Taylor comfortingly.

She gave a quick look around the Common Room to make sure that Lily and James were nowhere in sight and burst out, "I'm at the end of my rope here! I mean, as if it's not bad enough that we've got to burrow into our books day and night for bloody Mock NEWTs! No, we have to have Lily and Potter constantly at each other's throats! We can barely eat a meal without fear of something blowing up!" she drew a breath and her voice rose in pitch. "And to top it all of, I'm going barmy because-"

She stopped what she was saying when Taylor kicked her in the shins.

"Because…" she trailed off, very conscious that she had attracted a lot of attention, and the Marauders were also peering closely at her, "because… I'm… mad."

"Can't say I don't agree with that," said Sirius, unable to let the opportunity slip by.

She shot him a glare of death that she'd learnt from Lily, her brain so frazzled that she couldn't think of a proper comeback.

"Andrea's right," said Remus. "I think that they're trying to contain themselves… but, let's face it, they're not doing a very good job. We ought to try to stop the feud, if not for the sake of the student population, then for our own sanity."

"Like we have any left," snorted Andrea, nicking part of Taylor's History of Magic notes.

"Speak for yourself," said Sirius, earning himself another filthy look.

"Hang on," said Peter with a frown; he was unusually quick at picking certain things. He eyed Remus and Taylor's hands that had been unconsciously inching towards each other. "You two aren't-"

"You-" squawked Sirius, also eyeing the pair of hands that had abruptly drawn back. "You – both of you?"

After a quick glance at Taylor, Remus shrugged and nodded.

Sirius let out a raucous shout of laughter, earning himself yet again more glares. "Well done, Moony! About time you got yourself a girl!"

Remus winced, "Thank you, Sirius, for announcing my love life to the entire Common Room."

"Or lack of," quipped Andrea with a weak smile.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" said Sirius, assuming the look of a wounded puppy.

"Yeah!" said Peter, for lack of anything better to say.

"We wanted to tell you," said Taylor, "but it was just… you know, we weren't sure how James would react. And… everybody's tense enough as it is, we don't need another scene."

"Oh," said Peter, looking rather put off.

"Would this be another reason to end the feud quickly?" said Sirius, a smile on his face that indicated that large quantities of teasing would soon follow.

"Well," replied Taylor, refusing to be goaded. "Not really, but it'd be nice to come out in the open."

"It's not quite the same if one of my best mates doesn't know about it," added Remus.

"Enough talk," snapped Andrea, "We're all in agreement that the both of them need to sort out their problems. The question is how."

"We lock them together until they either call a truce or kill each other," answered Sirius simply.

"That isn't a plan," snorted Andrea. "That's a… well, it's so stupid and blunt, I don't even know _what _to call it."

"How about 'Andrea Rose'?" said Sirius nastily.

"Actually," said Remus quickly, seeing Andrea open her mouth to reply, "that might work. This would force them into a situation that would require compromise."

"We just have to find a room or something to stuff them in," chimed in Taylor. "Then, we could take away their wands and refuse to let them out till everything's been smoothed over."

"I know a place we can put them!" said Peter.

Everyone stared at him; surprised he actually had something important to contribute.

"Err," he said, looking astonished but not displeased by the unusual amount of attention he was receiving, "there's a large cupboard on the first floor. I've never seen anyone use it, and hardly anyone goes there."

"Wait a minute," said Remus with a frown, "you mean the big antique one?"

"I remember it," said Sirius, "It's under the alcove."

"But I keep feeling as though there's something we ought to remember about it," said Remus, still not satisfied.

"You probably thought it'd be a good place to snog or something," replied Sirius, dismissing his worries with a wave of his hand. "Bring Taylor sometime."

"Sirius!" shouted the embarrassed couple in unison.

"Oh, please," said Andrea. "You don't need to look so mortified. It's obvious that both of you've been at it," she turned to Taylor with a knowing smile. "You've got bruised lips."

Taylor reached up her fingers sheepishly to touch her slightly swollen lips.

"I have _the _most perfect lip balm for that," said Andrea, digging through her purse. "It was by Rogue, really covers up-" she paused and gasped. "Oh my lord."

"What?" asked Taylor, feeling disappointed. For a few moments, it seemed as though the old Andrea was back.

"When was the decision of the confederation of Vampires of 1975 made?"

"Err…" said Taylor, wondering how this had anything to do with what's-her-name's brand of lip balm.

"Two years later, February 12th, 1977," said Sirius easily, without even looking up. (**A/N: I know I'm annoying, but February 12th is my birthday! If I update around then, I expect extra long reviews!)**

"Fuck," she cursed, flipping through the notes. "How could I have forgotten that?"

"Relax Andy," said Taylor, "It'll all be over soon."

"Oh, sod it," she sulked, shoving the large stack of paper back to Taylor, "I'll concentrate better when this whole ordeal is over. Let's just finish planning."

And so, the five of them put their heads together, and plotted.

……

"Oy! Prongs!" hollered Sirius.

"What?" snapped James, who was in a very foul mood. He hated being ignored, particularly by a certain Head Girl.

"Snivellus is picking on Wormtail, want to go hex him?"

"Lead the way!" said James eagerly; so enthusiastic that he didn't even stop to wonder why Sirius hadn't defended Peter immediately.

He ran after Sirius, eager for an opportunity to vent his anger. So he was in a horrendous mood right now, and if a slimy, greasy enemy of his happened to pick on his mates while he was in said horrendous mood, it certainly wasn't his fault.

……

"Lily!" gasped Taylor. "James is picking on Snape again!"

"That prat!" shouted Lily righteously. Taylor rolled her eyes inwardly, knowing full well that Lily, though always sticking up for victims, was also looking for a fight. "As Head Girl, I've got to put a stop to this!"

Lily followed Taylor down several flights of stairs. After a few minutes of sprinting and a lot of cursing James Potter, she stood in front of Remus, Andrea, Peter and an antique cupboard. Just then, James and Sirius rushed in.

"Where's Snape?" asked James and Lily in confusion.

"_You!_" they both yelled, jumping when they caught sight of each other. Immediately, their wands were out and ready.

Suddenly, cries of '_Expelliarmus_' rang through the corridor, and their wands landed in Andrea's open hand. Before they could fully comprehend what was happening, the other three Marauders had shoved them into the cupboard.

After casting a Sealing Charm on the cupboard, Taylor shouted, "Lily! James! We're not letting you out till you act like adults and resolve this fight that's been going on for months!"

"You're both behaving like children," agreed Remus. "You've been disrupting the peace and quiet with your constant bickering and fights!"

"Not that we didn't disrupt the peace and quiet before," said Sirius needlessly.

"And you're destroying my study time!" said Andrea. She clapped a hand over her mouth and gasped. "Merlin, I can't _believe_ I said that."

"We understand that you've ended the prank war, and it's been an improvement," continued Taylor, "but really! It's just so immature! Especially on your part James!"

"Evans hasn't exactly been the easiest person to work with either," said Sirius loyally.

"Well Potter didn't even bloody apologise to her!" snapped Andrea.

"Lily? James?" called out Remus, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

"10 sickles says they just killed each other," hissed Peter, interrupting the bickering between Andrea and Sirius.

"Nah," said Andrea. "Lily wouldn't kill him; she wouldn't want to ruin her permanent record. 12 sickles says she's strangling him."

"A galleon says they're snogging madly," chimed in Sirius, digging his pockets for money. He met their disbelieving gazes, "What? It could happen!"

"Look, if you're trying to trick us into letting you out by being all quiet, it's so not going to work!" said Taylor, but her face was worried.

"Crap," said Remus, a look of pure horror dawning on his face.

"What's wrong?" asked Taylor.

"What floor are we on?"

"First," said Peter, obviously confused.

But now Sirius too had a similar expression of shock and dread, "You don't think we-"

"This can't be the-"

"What?" yelled Andrea and Taylor simultaneously.

"What're you two talking about?"

Sirius frantically undid the sealing charm, but when he and Remus wrenched the doors open, there was…

Nothing.

The cupboard was completely empty.

"We just shoved them into the Vanishing Cupboard," explained Remus hoarsely, his throat dry.

There was a horrified silence after his announcement, broken only by Andrea's heavy breathing.

"Oh. My. God," she choked out, gaping at the open cupboard. "Oh my God oh my God oh my God oh my God oh my-"

"I think she's going to hyperventilate," said Taylor vaguely, as though she was in a dream.

Sirius stepped over to her and gave her a shake none too gently, holding onto her shoulders and staring at her. Immediately, her terrified blue eyes flew up to meet his.

Then, she let out a piercing scream.

They clapped their hands over their ears and Sirius jerked away from her in surprise. She screeched long and loud before beginning to babble. "Stress piled on stress. Stress piled on stress. We're already going dotty because of exams, but clearly, that just isn't enough! No, my best friend has to be pushed into a cupboard with her worst enemy and transported to who-knows-where, and they'll end killing each other and we'll never ever, ever, ever, ever find them and-"

Sirius had stepped forward to shake her again, but before he got there, a nasal voice went, "What's going on?"

They all turned to stare at the speaker, only to find Filch, the new caretaker, his pouchy eyes roving around the scene. There was a gleeful smile on his lips at having caught the three Marauders at something for once.

"Nothing," said the three troublemakers he was so pleased to catch; giving innocent looks that fooled no one.

Filch stared at the two wands that had been discarded on the ground, a red-faced Andrea (lack of air) leaning against the open cupboard, hand on her chest, Taylor near her, still staring at the empty cupboard, as though refusing to believe the both of them weren't there and the boys who'd caused him so much grief.

Darned if he wasn't going to blame them for something.

"What's going on?" he repeated suspiciously.

"Nothing," they chorused again.

"Do I look stupid?" he growled, seeing Sirius open his mouth to answer, he snapped, "Don't answer that!"

Facing five blank-faced teenagers who refused to talk, he hissed in frustration. "I know that you lot are up to something," he snarled, eyes still resting on the Marauders, "but if you won't tell me, maybe you'll tell Dumbledore."

They followed Filch silently, each knowing that the best thing to do now would be to bring the matter to the Headmaster. After all, who knew how long it'd be before Lily and James showed up? And more importantly, _where_?

"Chocolate frog," said Filch to the stone gargoyle. He knocked on the door once before pushing all of them in roughly, seeming desperate that they not escape.

"Hello," said Professor Dumbledore mildly, his hands clasped in front of him, looking for all the world as though having a pissed off caretaker and five students barge into his office was a daily occurrence.

Then again, maybe it was.

"Professor," said Filch, "I found these miscreants on the first floor next to a highly valuable Vanishing Cupboard. I also picked these up from the floor," with that, he shook Lily and James's wands in front of the headmaster's face. "It's obvious that they've been playing some foolhardy prank on innocent victims again."

Dumbledore said nothing, merely turning to them and raising his eyebrows. After a moment's silence, he said, "Have you anything you might want to say?"

"It has to be one of those Marauders!" barked Filch, unable to control the accusations fighting to burst out. "Those four, always wreaking havoc, Dungbombs and Slug Pellets everywhere I go-"

"It was me, Professor," interrupted Andrea suddenly. "It was my fault."

The other four stared at her, but she gave them a warning glare not to say anything. Dumbledore settled his piercing gaze on her. "Before you admit to anything else, I would like to remind you, Ms. Rose, that this is a very unfortunate time for you to get into trouble. She is arriving soon, is she not?"

The Marauders looked bewildered, but Taylor bit her lip and a worried frown creased her face.

Though Andrea paled visibly, she said, "I understand, Professor. Even so, this entire thing was my idea," she began to explain. "Lily and James are always fighting; I guess I couldn't stand it anymore. So, I managed to get the others involved even though they didn't want to and-"

"Don't you go taking all the credit, Rose," cut in Sirius easily. His dark eyes flickered from Dumbledore's face to Andrea's. He knew that there was something going on that he didn't know about, and that something was probably related to Andrea's questionable behavior. Whatever it was, he figured that he ought to help her, and hopefully solve several mysteries at the same time. "I was the mastermind behind the plans and you know it."

"Hey-" Remus opened his mouth to admit his guilt too, but shut up when Sirius casually -and painfully- stepped on his and Taylor's feet.

"That was hardly a plan!" yelled Andrea. Upon realizing that she'd done exactly what he wanted her to do, she hissed angrily, "Can't you I'm trying to get you off the hook, Black?"

"Yeah, but shoving them in was my idea!"

"Well I should take the blame because-"

"No, I should-"

"Excuse me," said Dumbledore calmly, looking at them though his half-moon spectacles, quieting them immediately. "But I was under the impression that this is a rather pressing situation."

"I shoved Lily and James into a cupboard to make them work out their differences and stop fighting but only just realized that it was the Vanishing Cupboard they were in," blurted Andrea before Sirius could stop her.

"What d'you mean _you _shoved them in?" said Sirius incredulously, he held up one of her arms and continued, "Look at this arm, skinny as anything-"

"Let go or I'll show you what kind of punch this skinny arm can give," she snarled, pulling her hand away.

Dumbledore coughed softly to get their attention again and said, "I see," his mouth tightened slightly. "Mr. Filch, would you kindly find Professor McGonagall and tell her about the situation? Inform her that I'd like a search party gathered at once. Also, ask Professor Flitwick to perform the necessary spells to ensure that neither of them is 'trapped' in there."

"But- their punishments…" said Filch, reluctant to leave without seeing them get into trouble.

"I will deal with that," answered Dumbledore, signaling that there was no room for discussion. "Leave their wands please," he added to Filch's retreating back. With a growl, they landed on his desk. When Filch left, he turned to Sirius and Andrea. "As you're both willing to share the blame, you will receive detention tomorrow night with Mr. Filch. I believe that the trophies are beginning to look rather grubby again. Normally, a more severe punishment would be issued, but taking into account that Mock NEWTs are around the corner, and your good intentions, you get off lightly."

"Professor," said Remus slowly, "What did you mean just now when you said 'trapped' in the cupboard?"

"They could be in there for hours, days or even weeks before they're sent to wherever it is," said Dumbledore soberly. "We can only hope that they arrive at their destinations immediately before any mental or psychological damage is done to them."

"If Professor Flitwick can get them out of the cupboard at once, it's not so bad, is it?" said Taylor hopefully.

"That would indeed be the case if it weren't for the fact that…" he paused.

"If what?" practically shrieked Andrea and Sirius.

"The Vanishing Cupboard doesn't only transport people around Hogwarts," he stated. Remus felt his stomach drop; hopes of finding the two with the Marauder's Map vanished. "It goes to places near Hogwarts as well, places where the magic is still strong, the grounds, Hogsmeade and-" Again, he hesitated.

"What?" whispered Taylor, dreading the answer.

"And the Forbidden Forest."

**(A/N: You know, I could be really mean and end it here, but since I'm _such _a kind person, I won't.)**

……

She was spinning… spinning… spinning so fast that everything around her was a blank, white blur. Or maybe that was just the way it was. Lily didn't know, nor did she care to think about it too much. She was too confused.

Everything seemed to be happening too quickly, one second she was standing opposite Potter with a wand in her hand, and the next, the wand was gone and she was pushed into a cupboard with him. And before she knew it, she was here.

Wherever 'here' was.

She didn't know how long she was in that… that place, but suddenly, she was falling. It was so unexpected that she barely had time to brace her arms to prevent herself from landing flat on her face and breaking her nose. Even so, she could feel a jarring pain in her right ankle.

She tried to take in her surroundings, instead, she was up on her knees, retching and emptying her stomach of all its contents. She tried to stand, but her body was racked with convulsions, and her head was pounding madly to an unknown rhythm.

"Evans?" called out a weak voice.

James eyed the girl in front of him warily. Her arms were wrapped around her body protectively, like she was shielding herself from some vicious horror, eyes shut and sweating profusely while kneeling in front of a puddle of her own sick.

A wave of concern washed over him. He'd been sick a minute or two ago, but why was Lily in such bad shape? Did whatever they'd been through affected girls worse than it did boys? He rushed over to her and held back her hair as she threw up again. Carefully, he picked her up and set her against a boulder.

Lily had the vague sensation of floating and being put down. With difficulty, she opened her eyes and the worried face of James Potter came into focus.

"Gaah!" squawked Lily at the sight of him. She would have screamed, but she didn't have the strength.

"Settle down, Evans," said James, the worried look disappearing from his face instantly, an expressionless mask in its place. But, there was a definite hint of relief in his voice.

"Where are we?" she asked, part of her mind wondering why he hadn't made some sort of prat-like comment yet. Then again, the other part of her realized that this was hardly the time or place for an argument.

"I don't know," he said, getting up slowly to get a better look of their surroundings. Lily's eyes followed his as he gazed at the towering trees, mossy ground and strange plants.

"This can't be," he muttered to himself.

"What?" asked Lily, her mind was finally beginning to clear. "_What?"_ she repeated when he didn't reply.

"What's the last thing you remember?" he said, turning around and staring at her intensely.

She frowned, not liking the fact that he hadn't answered any of _her _questions. However, she rifled through her recent memories that seemed to be obscured by a thick fog. As she concentrated, the fog cleared, and the pain in her head receded to a dull throb. "T-Taylor was leading me down a few floors…" she started, pressing her palms against her forehead. "She said that you were picking on Snape again," James flushed, but went unnoticed, "and then we were in front of this cupboard…"

"And they took away our wands and pushed us in," said James, furrowing his brow, the memory coming back to him at last.

"That doesn't make sense!" exploded Lily. "One moment we're in a cupboard in Hogwarts, and the next, we're here! What bloody happened?"

A look of horror was creeping onto James' face (much similar to Sirius and Remus'.) He held up a few fingers and began ticking off points, mumbling, "Nausea… slight memory loss… headache…"

"_What?_" said Lily, truly pissed at him now.

"What floor were we on?" said James frantically.

"Will you answer _my _questions for once?" she snapped. "First… I think."

"Th-they pushed us into the Vanishing Cupboard," he choked out.

Lily felt a jolt of fear in her heart, "W-Well that isn't so bad, is it?" she said, trying to be positive. "I mean, it'll only bring us around Hogwarts. Are we in the greenhouses or something?"

"This isn't a well know fact," said James, still fighting to keep the terror out of his voice as not to alarm Lily, "but it also brings people to places near Hogwarts, like…" he gulped and gestured limply at their surroundings, "the Forbidden Forest."

"No," said Lily in a voice very unlike her own, shaking her head in denial. "W-we can't possibly be here, I mean there. We just can't!"

"Why not, Evans?" asked James harshly. Fear for himself and Lily made him lash out. "This was probably some harebrained plan hatched by your friends to stop the war."

"Don't you blame this on them!" yelled Lily. "They're far too sensible and considerate to-"

"Sensible? Considerate?" scoffed James. "Taylor might be that, but Rose hardly is! This is obviously her doing, her head in the clouds"-

"Shut up!" snarled Lily so poisonously that James actually stopped talking. "You don't fucking know what she's going through right now!"

"What?" said James, now confused and curious.

"You dare blame this on Andrea," continued Lily, ignoring him, "no doubt you friends were in on it too. They must've been the ones who plotted this whole thing out! Conned my friends into helping them, those manipulative, sneaky-"

"Evans," said James in a low voice, practically radiating with anger. "Don't bloody insult my mates. You can rag on me till kingdom come and I won't give a damn. But my mates are the best friends I could ever ask for and I won't hear one stinking word against them!"

Lily was shocked into silence by how… fierce he sounded, but she recovered in a moment. "You say that they pushed us in to stop the war. Fine then, let's not blame them. This entire thing would _never _have happened if you hadn't bloody pranked me so much!"

"Shut it, Evans!" shouted James, letting her get him worked up. "If you hadn't retaliated, I wouldn't have done anything else! It was all your stubborn pride-"

"_My _stubborn pride?" yelped Lily. "It was _your _freaking stubborn pride! You sent that Howler! You put the Bile into my juice!"

"Yeah," said James, realizing that she had a point but refusing to admit that he was wrong. "Well, if you'd just given up sooner-"

"I'll never give up!" said Lily vehemently, standing up. She barely hid a grimace as she put her weight on her tender ankle.

"Fine!" said James, throwing up his arms in frustration.

"Fine!" said Lily, stalking off in the opposite direction.

"_Fine!"_

"_Fine!_"

So, with both of them being fine, both their stubborn prides forced them to go their separate ways into the forest that was for obvious reasons, forbidden.

……

"You're late, you inconsiderate little brat," snarled Filch as Andrea breezed past him.

"I was doing my hair," she said calmly. She smiled just to infuriate Filch, giving a little twirl and patting her glossy black locks. It was pushed up into a bun by two unusually long wooden chopsticks with gilded ends. "You like? This look is from Japan, traditional, yet stylish."

Filch glowered. "Just get in there," he snapped, ushering her in. "I've got to make sure Black hasn't blown anything up yet, stinking Marauder he is."

"Top o' the morning to you," said Sirius brightly with an easy grin. He spun a rag in one hand and tipped an imaginary hat in the other.

"It's evening," said Andrea, marveling at the shade of puce Filch was turning, and setting herself opposite him.

"Don't be so cheerful," snarled Filch. "I want those trophies to be so clean that they sparkle! Sparkle, you hear me? _Sparkle!_"

With that, he slammed the door.

"Well he was pleasant," said Andrea, absent-mindedly polishing a plaque.

"He needs a life," agreed Sirius. He looked at her, "You look more… pulled together."

She merely shrugged and looked at her reflection in the plaque. Her hair looked normal, and a large amount of concealer had successfully covered her bags. True, she still had a haggard look on her, but it was better than the past few days. "Taylor calmed me down," she said at last.

**2 hours ago.**

"_After the Goblin Rebellion of 1823, the French government was finally willing to try to compromise in order to stop the havoc that was being caused. Leaders of said Rebellion, Furg the Filthy and Vork the Vile, met with French Minister, Jacques Delacour. However, due to excessive and unreasonable demands, the primary one being an entire country whose government consisted of Goblins, Jacques refused. So, they continued to rebel for three years before the French sought help from England and a plan known as 'Bennet Tactic' was devised, successfully cutting off their food and water supply," recited Andrea, stumbling to get the words out._

"_That's great, Andy!" said Taylor, dropping the large pile of notes on the table with a bang. "You practically quoted the notes!"_

"_One more question!" said Andrea, bouncing on the bed nervously._

"_No!" said Taylor. "I'm not asking you anymore questions! I've tested you on every single subject and you've yet to answer a question wrongly, relax!_

"_I can't relax, Tay," said Andrea pleadingly. "Every time my mind isn't busy, I think of _her _visit. Or worse, Lily."_

"_I've told you," said Taylor patiently, "I asked Flitwick earlier and he said they're both out of the cupboard. They might feel a bit sick, but they'll be fine. I don't know how the Marauders know, but they've managed to convince Dumbledore that Lily and James aren't in the castle. He's getting the faculty and all the students who aren't taking exams to search for them outside Hogwarts. We'll find them soon!"_

"_Even so-"_

"_Have you ever thought, Andy," began Taylor hesitantly. "That she might have sent that letter just to make you jump?"_

"_W-what d'you mean?" she asked, looking confused._

"_I mean she isn't exactly predictable," said Taylor, wondering why they always referred to her as _'she'_, and not _'your mum'. "_She might be doing this just to get you up and running."_

"_That would be just like that bitch," said Andrea slowly. "Making me hop around like a scalded flea, straining my eyes for the slightest hint of her, and what does she do? Bloody waltz in months later!"_

"_Exactly!" exclaimed Taylor in relief. "And you're prepared for the exams! I know you are. Keep this up for the next week and you'll have everything down to pat. Just-" she hesitated again._

"_What?"_

"_God, I can't believe I'm saying this. Just relax! Do you know that I actually **miss **hearing you prattle about make up and clothes? I miss you hogging the dressing table for hours and forcing me to listen to your debate over what sort of lipstick you should use! You haven't even **looked** at a mirror for ages!"_

"_Oh, Taylor!" said Andrea, giving her friend a tight hug. "Maybe I could ease up… a little." She glanced at the mirror and gave a small shriek. "Merlin, is that **me**!"_

_**End.**_

She was roughly shaken from her thoughts when a rag hit her on the head.

"Eww! Black!"

"Quit daydreaming, Rose," said Sirius, unperturbed. "We've got a lot of polishing ahead of us."

"Maybe you, but not me," said Andrea smugly. She reached up to the chopsticks that held up her hair. Shaking her tresses back, she held out one of the sticks, which turned out to be her wand. "Filch was so worried about you, he didn't even bother to make sure I didn't have a wand!"

"Inventive," said Sirius, a hint of respect in his eyes. "But don't get too full of yourself. You think we haven't tried that before? All of this has some sort of charm on it, if we try to clean it with magic, it squirts sludge."

"And you think I haven't worked my way around that?" snorted Andrea. "Watch," she waved her wand and mumbled something, and instantly, all of the trophies on her side shone as though they'd been polished vigorously for hours.

Sirius gaped, "How-"

"What I think you guys've been doing is trying to _get it_ clean," she said, admiring her handiwork. "But what I did was I made it _look_ clean, but the spell'll wear off in a few days. Pity for the next student who's in trouble."

She grinned at his astonished face as heard the solution that would've helped the Marauders in so many detentions. "Don't get too excited thought, it doesn't work on stuff like cauldrons that's actually going to be _used_," she sat down with a satisfied smile. "Here," she picked up the second chopstick and threw it to him. "I'm such a good person, always helping the needy…" he gave her a 'look'. "Well, actually, you left it in the Common Room and I couldn't find anything else that was the same length as my wand."

"Thanks," he said, feeling rather surprised. With a quick wave, he cast the same spell Andrea had. Then, he looked at her strangely, "Did we just have a civil conversation?"

"You know what?" said Andrea, equally amazed. "I think we did."

"Who knew we were mature enough?"

"I guess the Lily/James thing must be addling our minds. How did you guys know they weren't in the castle anyway?"

Sirius shrugged. He knew of her famed prowess of picking up hints and putting two and two together. So, he gestured to the gleaming trophies to distract her, "Imagine you figuring this out."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, affronted. "Just because I act like a ditz doesn't mean I'm a complete idiot. When you have as much work as I used to do, you start thinking of ways to cut corners."

"You? A lot to do?" he snorted and leaned over to grab her hand, displaying the soft, white skin. "Look at this," he continued, running a finger over her skin and heading to her forearm, not noticing her shiver slightly at his touch. "Not a single blister or callous or-"

He stopped suddenly and stared, inspecting the skin. He'd just felt a small bump. Looking closely, he could see a long thin white scar. In fact, there were several others, some long, some short, barely visible and obviously caused by a human. She stiffened when she noticed what he was staring at and drew back her arm roughly.

"Where did you get those scars?" asked Sirius slowly.

"Not that it's any business of yours, Black," she spat defensively, "but I… fell."

"You must have fallen a great deal of times then," said Sirius, looking at her closely. "Those scars weren't an accident, Andrea."

She shook her head stubbornly, but a ripple of astonishment went through her when he said her first name in a non-flirting situation. "So? I fell into a thorn bush," she said angrily. "Sod off, Black."

"You don't seem to be the type who'd cut herself," he said quietly. "Who's been hurting you?"

She opened her mouth, most likely to tell him to shut up, but before she could say anything, a nervous voice was heard at the door. "Err… Ms. Rose?"

Andrea glanced up to see a third year who she knew had a crush on her. "What?" she said, her tone sharper than she meant it to be."

"Sorry to interrupt," he said, afraid he'd displeased her, "but Professor Dumbledore sent me. H-he wanted me to tell you that… that…"

"What?" she repeated, this time more urgently.

"That your mother is here."

**A/N: Yes! Finally finished this darned thing! Bwahahaha! I didn't end at one cliffhanger and chose another! Evil aren't I? Anyway, I've been planning this chapter for a _long _time. So, this is the situation, and the secret of what happened in first year will be revealed in either the next chapter or the one after it. Andrea's situation will also be further explained soon.**

**Cool, I wrote almost 7000 words! Just so you know, I've been typing madly since yesterday for this! On to review replies! Lord, I love you people. Almost forgot! Thank you, if you prayed for me and whatever! I did _not _get chicken pox even though I was the one smearing cream on all my sister's little spots! Thank you!**

**Well, that's all for now! I love you people! Review!**

**READ! One more thing, the results of my exams are coming out soon. You know, the ones I was worrying my head off about, a few chapters ago? It's kind of like OWLs, so the results are finally coming out. I think they'll be out right after Christmas, so after you eat your turkey and get your presents, pray for me! I'm so worried about it, like if I get one question wrong and it'll be the difference between an A and a B. Anyway, it depends on my results, if I get the straight A's I hope for, you can probably expect a chapter soon. I usually write when I'm exuberantly happy. If I don't… then… then I really don't want to think about it.**

**Well, Merry Christmas! Consider it a present!**


	13. Mother of All Mayhem

**RE-UPDATED: 17/3/05**

**Disclaimer: God, if you haven't gotten the fact that I so do _not _own Harry Potter by now, you are hopeless.**

**Andrea: Pronounced Ohn-Drey-A by Mrs. Rose.**

**A/N: OK, I wanted to get some stuff down before I start. First of all, it'd be a good idea to read my Authoress' Notes, I answer questions, make announcements and stuff. I'd rather not have to repeat things I've said before. Especially in the review replies I put above. So, with that out of the way…**

**Remember how I was so worried about my exams? (Breaks into great big fat happy grin.) I'm a top scorer! I took an extra (in my opinion) really useless subject, and I still manage to ace all 8 of my subjects! I love you people if you prayed for me! I even love you people if you didn't, 'cause guess what? I'm so damn happy I couldn't care less!**

**My friend called me (despite my severe warnings that if any of them told me my results over the phone, I would slowly and painfully torture them) to tell me that our results were finally out and on the notice board. I asked her (all the while, strongly denying the temptation to screech 'WHAT DID I GET!') about her own results, and she said 7A's (which is standard, 'cause people in my country usually take 7 subjects, unless they're willing/forced –cough, cough- to do otherwise.) and we both started screaming. Then, I couldn't help it, asked if she knew how I'd feel if I saw my results, and she said, 'You'll be very happy!'**

**Then we both started screaming again (Now, I see why guys run away when girls get all excited.), me squealing, 'I got 8A's!' and her going 'Yes, yes, YES!' a few seconds later, I yelled at her for telling me. I know I'm an unreasonable person. **

**But, seriously, I can't believe it! Especially my History exam, (long story, involving newly gotten period, downing menstrual pills with coke, and amazingly painful cramps.) which I fully expected to… not get an A in! I want to say one more time, thank you guys so much! You've shown a lot of concern and well wishing in you reviews, and it made me so happy! Oh, and I know I said that if I got good results, I'd update my stories, which I did, only not this one. (Looks sheepish.)**

**Ok, now, I will stop babbling, and get on with it.**

**To those of you who have read _The Diaries Of The Perfection of Sirius Black,_ I'm sorry to say that it does _not _follow the plotline of Bring It On (BIO, for those who don't know.). Although I have brought characters and things from BIO (ex: Andrea and WEB-We hatE Butterflies), it doesn't fit, so it will not accompany this fic. **

**Oh, and I'm going to do some correcting on my earlier chapters, you know, grammar mistakes and such. I won't add anything much, though I might elaborate and change a few facts, but it won't be of any importance. So, if you read something that doesn't quite tally with coming chapters, I've probably made a change here and there. By the way, do you know if my reviews will be deleted if I replace chapters?**

**HEY! EVERYONE! READ!**

**Replying to _PentagonMerlin:_ Thank you very much! I really appreciate your criticism and compliments! I'm sorry, but I don't see how Remus, Taylor and Andrea are Mary-Sueish. Remus, because I never put _that _much of him in. I mean, he's a really sweet guy, and he's cute and cares for his friends, but does that make him a Mary Sue? I only portrayed him the way I thought he'd be. (shrugs.) As for Taylor, she isn't very pretty, just average, like one of those pleasant faces. It's just that Remus thinks she's beautiful, because she's nice. I know that you haven't seen any of her flaws yet, but you will in the coming chapters. And Andrea, I was always worried about Andrea. After all, she's the only OC I said was gorgeous. Even so, she's exceedingly vain and obsesses about her looks. You'll notice that none of them are specially talented or smart (though I mentioned that she was in this chapter, you'll also notice that I said she sucked bad when she was trying some spells in earlier chapters.). I've sent all of them on the HP Mary Sue test, and I'm pleased to say that none of them were anywhere near the MS border. I thought I had variety, but still, what are your suggestions? I'm always open to them!**

**As for the Mock-NEWTs thing. I'm sorry, but I'm still going with my original idea. I highly doubt it's be taken in 6th year, after all, how can they take the Mock Exams if they haven't even studied 7th year material? It sounds awfully unreasonable to me. My country has this sort of test system, and I've followed it. We're given several months before they give us mock exams, I'm sorry, but I really can't see this from you point of view. As for the time, it's around late to mid January right now. Anyway, thank you! And yeah, I didn't want to rush things, that's why I didn't shove Lily and James together immediately. But don't worry, they're relationship will start soon! Again, thanks for your review, I really appreciated it!**

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" mumbled Lily furiously to herself as tramped in the direction she _assumed _Hogwarts was. "Potter is such a great, fat, stupid prat!"

She sighed and plopped down on the ground. She'd been walking for hours and her sore ankle was starting to throb painfully. To make things worse, the hazy rays of sun that had managed to pierce the Forest's thick canopy was dimming. Which meant that night was falling, and when night came, so did the night prowlers.

"How dare he blame this on me?" she continued angrily, glaring daggers at an innocent rock. "That bloody idiot with his inflated head! And an ego the size of Alabama! Stinking berk he is… Gah!"

She uttered a cry of alarm when a furry black head popped out of the soil. It flew to the silver watch on her wrist, large paws outstretched, and teeth fastening itself on its target. She swung her arm wildly before managing to make the creature let go and land on the ground with a 'flump'.

She moved away to get a better look at whatever it was that attacked her. It stared at her with an expression that could only be described as hurt. A spade-like paw lifted to rub its furry nose.

"Oh, bugger," she said crossly, looking at it. "_You _attacked _me_. Don't give me that 'woe is me' expression."

She continued staring at it, trying to figure out what it was. She attended Care of Magical Creatures in her 3rd Year, but had dropped it after her OWLs. Finally, the memory clicked and she exclaimed, "You're a Niffler!"

Hurriedly, she took of anything remotely shiny and pocketed it. She gazed at it as it continued to look pitifully wounded. "Why on Earth would you be in a forest? I mean, you live in caves and things, right?"

It gave her a look that clearly said, 'Why are you asking me?'

"There are caves under Hogwarts, aren't there?" she said, remembering her first journey to the castle by boat. "I've always wondered where Kettleburn got the Nifflers from! Though it's strange that you came up here."

It gave her another look that showed that it obviously didn't care. They stared at each other for a while; Lily, never having met a Niffler out of class, wasn't sure what to do. It blinked at her a few times before cautiously approaching her. Lily reached out upon impulse and lifted it onto her lap, wondering vaguely if it would decide to use her robes as a toilet.

She leaned back against the mossy tree bark and stroked its fluffy head. "You know," she said conversationally, "I shouldn't be asking you what you're doing here. After all, I don't even know what _I'm _doing here!"

It turned to her with an expression of polite interest. She continued talking, "I'm Head Girl of Hogwarts," she prodded her badge forcefully. "I'm just about the smartest witch in my year. I'm responsible and I do my homework right after I get it and I've never been inside this God Forsaken forest before! So why am I here, you ask!"

The Niffler blinked at her again, it had asked no such thing.

"It's all because of an arrogant bullying toerag named James Potter! He's tall, plays Quidditch, messy black hair and always has this _stupid _smirk on his face! If you see him-" she trailed off and looked at the Niffler thoughtfully. As if completely forgetting what she'd been talking about (most likely due to the exhaustion of tromping through copious quantities of undergrowth.) she said, "I should give you a name. Oh!" her eyes lit up with inspiration. "How 'bout Bugger!"

If the Niffler had an eyebrow, it would have been raised.

"What?" she said defensively. "It's the first thing I said when I saw you! It's a good name for a girl, right?" she peered at the Niffler closely. "You are a girl, aren't you?"

'Bugger' looked exceedingly offended.

"Anyway, sod off. I'm the one who can talk here, so you're Bugger. Bug for short. Now shut up so I can continue yelling." She settled Bugger more comfortably on her lap and kept on ranting as though she hadn't even stopped. "Now if you see him, Bug, I want you to fly at him and bite him! Gnaw at him! Steal his blasted glasses and tunnel away! I don't care!

"The fact that I've been in more detentions these past few months than I've ever gotten in my entire _life _is because of him! In fact, it was his bloody fault I even _got_ my first detention! He's been pranking and prodding me to near insanity, I tell you! And you know what?" she looked Bugger straight in the eye. "That isn't even the worst thing. Nor is my being stuck in this damn forest the worst thing! The worst thing, is that I'm pouring my heart out to a Niffler I've named Bugger! Forget near insanity! I'm already insane!"

She stood up with difficulty, her ankle fairly screaming in protest. "OK, you," she told her. "Run along now, go back to your nice cave or something. I'm going to tramp off into the dark and look for my school. I don't need to be raving to you while I do it!"

It rolled off her lap and sat on its rump, still looking pleasantly polite. Then, with a small heave of its plump form, it ambled off in the opposite direction.

She favoured her left leg as she plodded along stoically, hoping for some sign of Hogwarts. Mosquitoes buzzed in her ears while insects of every variety chirped a high-pitched melody. In the distance, she could hear a sweet bird song, which she took to comfort till the song changed to a shriek and a dying warble. Apparently, not all music soothed the savage beast.

She didn't know how long she walked, but when she checked her watch, it was already about two in the morning. It was then, at that ungodly hour that it happened. She'd been concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, trying to assure herself that she'd been gone for about half a day, surely people would be looking for her. Instead, she found herself sadistically hoping that whatever animal devoured her would choke on her bones and achieve supreme indigestion.

Then, to be put quite simply, she fell into a hole.

Well, not so much a hole, per say, as a rather small valley. One moment she'd been wondering how she'd taste and the next she was screaming and sliding uncontrollably on loose topsoil and gravel before landing painfully on her behind.

A searing fire shot up her ankle. Unfortunately, she'd sat on it, making it worse than ever. She looked around; the understanding of her situation sank her further into the pits of despair.

She was sitting at the side of what seemed to be a lower piece of ground. It was as though a giant hand had taken a bowl and scooped up part of the land, leaving behind a hole that was about 10 paces in diameter. Also leaving behind the hell she was currently trapped in. She hit the damp earth angrily, cursing her bad luck and lack of attention at where she'd been going.

Lily pushed herself up, sheer determination and stubbornness lent strength to her throbbing ankle. She stood in front the curved wall that was almost twice her height and determinedly dug her fingers into the rich fertile earth to pull herself up, but it merely crumbled and fell beneath her grip, the plentiful supply of water had made it moist and loose. She refused to give up, desperately trying to claw her way out for the better part of an hour until all ten of her digits were pitifully bruised and sore.

She slid back down onto the mud and buried her face into her dirty hands. "It's hopeless," she mumbled to herself. "The walls are too loose… I can't get out." For the first time, the urge to cry arose.

Lily had always been a person who thought that crying was useless. What, after all, was the point of bursting into tears? It never made anything better. To her, it was weakness. Not that she'd ever said that to Taylor when she'd been weeping in her sleep due to some memory. Or Andrea, when she found her friend sobbing in the bathroom after a particularly bad spat with her mother. _Andrea_… she felt a wave of concern for her friend. Silently, she sent out a prayer that she would be all right, lest her mother came when neither herself nor Taylor were around.

She shook herself out of her thoughts and began to do the only useful thing she could do. Scream for help.

"Help! OY! Anyone out there?" she hollered, cupping her hands over her mouth. "**Help**! Girl stuck in a hole here! _Wounded_ girl stuck in a hole!"

She paused for a moment, considering the possibility of things other than help finding her. Then, she decided she didn't care; she was desperate enough to risk it.

"James bloody Potter! I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd be _really_ thrilled to see you right now!" she shouted, her throat starting to feel hoarse from the strain. Still, she ignored it. "OI! _James Potter!_ Anyone, just _anyone_ who could pull me out of this damn thing? HELP ME!"

"You are an undeniably loud human," came a cool voice.

Lily swiveled her head so fast she thought she heard it crick. Standing above her was a man… no… she realized as she squinted, though the upper half of his body was a human's, the lower half was a… horse.

"You're a centaur!" she blurted out.

"Observant, aren't you?" he said dryly. Behind him, several more centaurs approached. One in particular caught her eye. He had a palomino body and striking blonde hair. Though he looked like about the age of a human four year old, his ice-blue eyes bore into her with an intensity that was beyond his years.

"Will you help me out?" asked Lily hopefully, her voice cracked slightly after all that yelling. "My ankle is hurt and I need to get back to Hogwarts."

"We do not take orders from humans!" said one of the centaurs, holding his head up proudly, his wild black hair flying. She supposed that he was an adolescent.

"It wasn't an order!" she protested. "I was just asking! I mean come on, I'm hurt and lost and it's bloody dark in this damn forest-"

"How dare you insult our home, human!" roared the same centaur indignantly.

"Quiet, Bane, your youth has yet to sow the seeds of maturity," said the one who had first spoken. He focused on Lily. "We cannot help you."

"What?" squawked Lily. "Of course you can! All you have to do is get a branch or something and tug me up! How hard can it be?"

"We have seen your coming," he continued calmly. "The planets have written of your fate. As Neptune shines and Mercury fades, it has been foretold that your arrival in our home will affect your future much." He stepped closer to the edge of the hole, towering over Lily. "We cannot, we _dare not _interfere! The cosmos has determined it so."

"B-but… but!" spluttered Lily in disbelief. "You're going to leave me here? Trapped? Just because the movement of the solar system tells you to?"

"Yes, Lily Evans," said the centaur firmly, oblivious to her steadily reddening face. "Mars, bringer of battle has been glowing with the fire of the sun! You are one who shall aid the quenching of the fire! Your being here is crucial."

He looked up at the sky and stared.

"Can't you even give me a straight answer?" yelled Lily in frustration. "Listen, if you just leave me here, I could be eaten, or die of hypothermia, or dehydration, or… or starvation! How will that help quench Mars's fire?" she paused. "Lord, that sounded weird."

The palomino child looked at her quietly. "She is right, father, we cannot just leave her here."

"Yes we can, Firenze," was the firm reply. "You are a foal and have yet to understand, but we centaurs cannot tamper with what shall be. We watch, witness and learn."

"But father, the planets have been read wrongly before," he said, refusing to back down. "What if this is one of those times?"

"Unlikely," said the older centaur. "You must learn your place, Firenze. The future shifts and changes, we cannot take it into our hands. Destiny shall come without our help. Come," he said to the rest of them, beginning to trot away. "We bid you well, Lily Evans," he called back without turning, "but we shall not interfere."

Lily stared at their retreating hindquarters, her mouth hanging open. She sat there, slumped and stunned for some time. Then, the shock faded away and disappointment and helplessness took its place, fury and fear blooming in her chest. She felt the corners of her eyes prickle again and she swiped them viciously. Snarling, she grabbed a rock near her and began to pound the ground with it furiously.

"Stupid (thump) centaurs (thump) with their (thump) stupid (thump) fortune telling! (THUMP)" she growled, making a large dent in the earth. "Destiny! Pah! (THUMP) How can (thump) they just (thump) bloody leave (thump) me here! (THUMP) Stranded and – AAAHHHHHH!"

She managed to stop the rock she was holding half an inch above the black head that had just popped out of the ravaged ground.

"Bugger!" she said in surprise. The Niffler clambered out of the hole and gave her a faintly disapproving look that seemed to scream 'you almost killed me, you did.'

"What are you doing here?" asked Lily sternly, "I told you to go back to your cave!"

Bugger scratched her head and looked thoughtful. How she managed to convey expressions on her furry face was beyond Lily. Then, she waddled down the hole she'd made and came back with something in her mouth. She spat it out in front of Lily before sitting back, looking distinctly pleased with herself.

Gingerly, Lily picked up the grimy and spit coated object. Wiping off the dirt with her robes, she found herself looking at a familiar pair of wire-rimmed glasses.

"You actually listened to me and took his glasses?" she asked incredulously.

Bugger looked distinctly pleased with herself.

"Is he far from here?" asked Lily frantically. "Can you get him over? Did he follow-"

A deep growl from above broke her incessant questioning. Lily looked up to see a deep grey muzzle and cunning black eyes. It showed Lily its sharp, gleaming teeth. She literally felt her heart stop for a few seconds. A Dark Wolf, one of the many that lived in the Forbidden Forest. There wasn't much difference between an ordinary wolf and a Dark Wolf, except its strength, intelligence and teeth. Those fangs had a sort of poison that would stun its prey so that the Dark Wolves could devour them whole before spitting out the fragments of bone. There were only several ways humans could use to hold off Dark Wolves, and all of them required a wand.

And where there was one Dark Wolf, there was a whole pack.

It grinned at Lily, letting her take a good look at its jagged yellow dentures before letting loose a howl to call the rest of its family.

Lily comforted herself with her earlier thoughts of how her many bones would make her an uncomfortable meal.

……

"Your mother is here," repeated the third year, spooked by the look of pure horror on Andrea's face. "She's waiting in Professor Dumbledore's office."

A thick silence permeated the room; only Andrea's harsh breathing could be heard.

Finally, Andrea forced her stiff legs up. Terror's icy cold fist gripped her hear as she moved woodenly to the door. Her brain seemed to be thinking a thousand thoughts and of absolutely nothing at once. Blindly, she followed the third year, barely noticing Sirius's openly confused face.

Soon, all too soon, Andrea was once again in front of the stone gargoyle. There, waiting for them was Professor McGonagall. She sent the third year back before turning to Andrea with a look that could only be described as pitying.

"It'll be all right, Ms. Rose," she said, looking at her as though she expected Andrea to burst into tears at any moment.

"Professor," said Andrea hesitantly, unable to stop herself. "Could you not pity me?" she opened her eyes to see her teacher's astonished expression. "I mean, this is my way of life. I'm used to it. I – I…" she struggled with her words. "I don't want people's sympathy. I don't want to be seen differently just because you know."

Her expression changed and a soft smile she'd never seen before graced her thin lips. "Of course."

She put a hand on Andrea's shoulder and ushered her in.

As the stone staircase rose, Andrea clenched her fists and bit her lip in anticipation and fear. When she stepped out into the office, she saw Professor Dumbledore at his desk. And opposite him, sitting stiffly in a cushy chintz armchair was her mother.

……

Sirius narrowed his eyes as the two left. The moment the door closed, he went to the opposite side of the room and squeezed himself behind the trophy shelves. He ran his fingers over the stone until he found one that was unusually warm. Tapping it several times with his wand, a door appeared. He pulled it open and rushed through a few more secret passageways till he reached his dorm. Wrenching the Invisibility Cloak out of James's trunk, he took a shortcut to the hall leading to Dumbledore's office.

He managed to pop out a few steps behind the two. With the cloak on, he trailed them.

He listened with a puzzled frown as Andrea made her request, which only served to confuse him more. What was wrong with her? Did she have some sort of illness?

He snuck up behind them on the stairway, not missing the way she stood rigidly. When they entered, his eyes fell on the visitor opposite him.

One could say that she looked like an older version of Andrea. Her silky black hair was pulled back into an elegant chignon, her skin flawless and fair except for the tastefully applied dusting of rogue under her high cheekbones, and full lips curved into a pout. The designer robes she wore flowed to the ground, clinging to her slim body, practically screaming of her great wealth. Yet, the one large, obvious and undeniable difference was her eyes. They were the same shape and colour as her daughter's, but while Andrea's had fairly sparkled with good humour and warmth, hers seemed cold and calculating. Just looking at them made Sirius want to shiver and turn away.

"Ohn-drey-a Persephone," she said, dragging out the name in a fashion that was far from endearing. Her voice was cool and smooth, but sharp, like a glass of champagne. Sirius saw Andrea barely hide a grimace.

"Mother," she said, stepping forward and inclining her head in a gesture of respect. Her tone was as fine as the older woman's, but beneath it; Sirius could somehow sense the well-masked tenseness. His eyebrows jumped, so, that was her mother! That was probably the cause of her somewhat insane behavior of late.

"You've gained weight, Andrea Persephone," said her mother sharply, her eyes like bits of ice as she examined her. Andrea glanced down at her flat stomach. As far as she knew, she'd lost weight due to the frantic studying and lack of time to eat. "Your hair is in a mess! What have you been doing?"

Andrea bit her lip to stop the scathing reply that was struggling to fly out of her mouth. I…" she hesitated. Her mother would be far from pleased to know that she had had detention. On any other occasion, she'd have lied her way through without a second thought, but she hardly believed that Professor McGonagall or Dumbledore would be willing to help her. "I was in detention," she admitted at last.

"Detention?" her mother repeated, her nostrils flaring. "You've been acting like a little miscreant again, haven't you? I've tried to help you, Andrea Persephone, again and again, but have you ever listened to me?" she rolled her heavily lashed eyes in a gesture of exaggerated exasperation. "What did you do _this time_?"

She compressed her lips; she'd never much liked the way her mother tended to say 'this time', as it always implied that she had one whole list of misdeeds to choose from. Which, in truth, she did, but that was beside the point. Her mind raced for a way out, after all, she couldn't possibly tell the truth. She cringed at how it'd sound, "Actually, I pushed the Head Boy and Girl into the Vanishing Cupboard. So, they're wandering around somewhere outside Hogwarts, hopelessly lost." That would _not _do.

"Well?" she asked impatiently.

"I-" she began, still not knowing what to say.

"I'm afraid you daughter's Potion blew up during class," said Professor McGonagall quickly. Andrea gaped. McGonagall covering for her? After all the havoc and chaos that she'd helped create during the last few months?

Mrs. Rose narrowed her eyes and looked at her daughter. Andrea flicked her hair back and tried to look as though this story was nothing new to her.

"And exactly _why _did your work blow up, Andrea Persephone?" she asked tightly. "Were you careless as usual? Foolhardy? Too confident of your non-existent abilities?"

Before Andrea could nod in agreement, Professor Dumbledore interrupted calmly, "The ingredients used were rather stale, I'm afraid. Apparently, the student who used it last didn't seal the container well."

"And my daughter was blamed for this student's idiocy?" she sniffed coldly. "Though I'm not _entirely _convinced that her lack of common sense had nothing to do with her punishment, it's clear to me that Hogwarts's standards are far from satisfactory."

"Mother," Andrea started. She knew where this was heading.

"Do not interrupt your betters, Andrea Persephone," she said icily. "Your Potions Master is incompetent if he is unable to ensure that everything is as it should be. Your students are careless and uncaring. You rules are flawed and regulations-"

"You will kindly refrain from insulting my school, Mrs. Rose," said Professor Dumbledore quietly, a definite tinge of coolness behind his words.

She looked faintly miffed, clearly not used to being reprimanded. "I wasn't _insulting _you school, Professor, I was merely stating facts," she turned pointedly to Andrea. "These sort of things would never happen in Beauxbatons."

"Actually," began Andrea, unable to resist the temptation. "I heard that one of the students there-"

"Quiet, Andrea Persephone!" she snapped, showing the first bit of herself besides her frigid demeanor. "Do not speak unless spoken to! How many times must I drill that into your thick head?"

Dumbledore's face was expressionless, McGonagall's lips became a straight line, but her eyes were full of disbelief while Andrea… Andrea just looked resigned.

"Take a seat, Andrea Persephone," she continued as though nothing had happened, waving a hand gracefully to the seat beside her. "Professor Dumbledore and I were just discussing your progress in school."

"Yes, Mother," she replied cordially, sitting down, being cautious not to slump lest she was reprimanded.

"Indeed," said Professor Dumbledore, giving a small smile that expressed none of what he was feeling. "For a clearer view on the matter, I've invited Professor McGonagall here tonight. As your daughter's head of house, I'm sure that she knows her well."

Professor McGonagall composed herself, probably trying to rid her voice of any of the disgust she was feeling. She'd have made some sort of comment long ago to put that woman in her place, had Professor Dumbledore warned her not to interfere. Irritating her would hardly help Andrea. "Your daughter is a very smart young lady," she began, looking at Mrs. Rose for some hint of motherly pride.

"She gets that from me," she merely said. "Then again, intelligence isn't everything when you have the sensibility of a cow."

McGonagall chose to remain silent. She took out a stack of reports from a file. Showing Mrs. Rose the first one, she said, "As you can see, Andrea has always done remarkably well in my class. Our Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Zephyr, has also commented about her unusual aptitude for the subject. She's currently in the top three for both of these NEWT level lessons."

"Though she's done well, she's not the best," she shot her daughter a disapproving glance. "What's the point of taking up anything if you don't aim to be the best? What of her other subjects?"

"Well…" Professor McGonagall shuffled through her papers, obviously reluctant to continue. "Her results for Charms, Herbology and History of Magic have always averaged between an Acceptable and Exceeds Expectations whereas her marks in Divination and Potions are… somewhat erratic." Mrs. Rose's face visibly darkened and she opened her mouth to give Andrea a good tongue-lashing but stopped when the professor continued. "Though of late, her results in every class has shot up. She's manages to be in the top five for all her subjects except… Divination."

"A rather wooly subject," sniffed Mrs. Rose. "But then again," she snapped, "You're obviously not trying hard enough! You see, Andrea Persephone? The moment you hear that I'm coming, your results improve! You need a constant driving force behind you! If you'd gone to Beauxbatons like I'd told you to seven years ago, you'd have become a far more accomplished young lady than the useless bit of fluff you are now!" she turned to Dumbledore and turned up her aristocratic nose. "Hogwarts is too soft on its students."

"The world is full of different people with different opinions, Mrs. Rose," replied Dumbledore, his hands still clasped in front of him, a picture of calmness.

"Indeed," she replied in a tone that was scathingly disbelieving. "Then again, some of those opinions matter more that others'. If you would be so kind, Headmaster, I'd appreciate a private word with my daughter."

"Of course," he answered before standing. "Come, Minerva. I believe that now is the appropriate time for a mug of hot chocolate." He nodded to the portraits on the walls and their inhabitants who had been watching the scene beneath their closed eyes and loud snores. With a great deal of yawning and stretching, they disappeared from their frames.

Professor McGonagall rose stiffly and followed him out of the room. But before she rode down the staircase, she couldn't help but give Mrs. Rose's back a thoroughly repulsed look. Dumbledore, on the other hand, gave the corner where Sirius stood a hint of a smile and a shadow of a wink.

The moment the stairway spiraled down, Mrs. Rose faced Andrea with her hands folded regally on her lap.

"Do you know, Andrea Persephone, what diamonds were before they became the treasured gems we see?" she asked smoothly, holding up a slim wrist to better display the expensive mentioned jewels encircling it.

"Yes," said Andrea cautiously, it was always wise to be wary when she began talking like that. "From rocks, usually coal."

"Exactly," she said sharply, dropping her casual manner. "You, Andrea Persephone, are currently an ugly, common piece of coal, but with enough pressure and effort, you have the potential to become the brightest, most valuable diamond I have ever seen!"

"I'd much rather be a _happy,_ ugly common piece of coal than a diamond that you display in a glass case to all your socialite friends," replied Andrea coolly. "To become a diamond to _you_, I'd have to do whatever you said, wouldn't I? I'd have no free will, no life of my own," she stated, looking grimly into the older woman's orbs. Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "I'm sorry, but I must decline. For I know, Mother, I know that if I were to follow the way of life you wish me to lead, I would never be happy."

"Don't you see, Andrea Persephone?" she said, a question that was not a question, her voice becoming steadily more glacial. "I only want what's best for you. And you should know that Beauxbatons and Pierre Neveau is what's best."

"You want what's best for _you_!" she shot back, abandoning the frosty demeanor she'd acquired upon meeting her mother. "You want a diamond to show off to your snotty friends! You want them and the whole world to see that your daughter is the shiniest, biggest diamond there is!"

"I have never heard such impudence!" snapped Mrs. Rose. "I don't see why you refuse to develop you talent! Your father and I spent hundreds of Galleons sending you to a wide variety of lessons, hundreds more to different evaluators, and they've all given me the same answer! That you have an IQ that is far, far above average and talent for magic that surpasses any other child they've ever seen! Why do you stubbornly limit yourself?"

"Because I want to enjoy life!" she said angrily. "Because I like nice clothes and make up and shoes and everything else that makes people think I'm a brainless twit! I like not over-achieving!" Suddenly, Andrea's voice became soft. "And lastly, because if I did work myself to the bone to become what _you _want me to be, I would never truly be able to live."

"What do you mean, Andrea Persephone?" asked Mrs. Rose dangerously, as though daring her to answer.

"You know what I mean, Mother," replied Andrea, her voice wobbled slightly. "I listened to you once before, and we both know what happened."

A ringing slap echoed through the room.

Andrea hadn't flinched as her mother's firm hand struck her cheek. Her long French manicured nails had managed to break Andrea's skin, causing shallow gouges. Something about the way she carried herself implied that she was far too used to this treatment. Even so, tears that she had desperately tried to hold back throughout the meeting welled in the corners of her eyes. Yet, she held her head up proudly, displaying the flaming red handprint that stood out starkly upon her fair complexion. The scratches that had come along with the blow began to drip blood.

Mrs. Rose gave a sneer at her daughter's glassy eyes. They both knew that tears were signs of weakness, but Andrea couldn't help herself; she wasn't as strong as Lily, able to bottle everything up.

"What you need to understand, Andrea Persephone, is that you do not become a success doing what you like," she said, "but by doing what you must."

"You mean by back stabbing, underhanded dealings and blackmail?" snarled Andrea. "As much as it disgusts me, I admit that I can bloody do that when I need to."

"You're becoming so uncouth, Andrea Persephone! This is exactly why I want you to transfer to Beauxbatons immediately! If it weren't for that father of yours, you'd already be there!" She looked at her triumphantly. "But I won in the end, didn't I? He's finally agreed with me after that discussion during the holidays!"

"The only reason you want me to transfer there is because of Pierre Neveau!" said Andrea defiantly, opening her eyes wide in hopes that the tears would dry up before they could actually fall. "And that 'father of mine' is your husband!"

"How many times must I explain it to you?" she hissed, her temper melting off the icy front she'd shown. "The Neveau's are a well-respected pureblood family in France! A marriage between you and Pierre would unite our families and leave us ever higher in social status! Do you have any idea how important that is for the politics and business that I must deal with everyday?"

"And I've told you many times before, Mother, that I care nothing for that social status!" said Andrea harshly, refusing to wipe the blood that had begun to slide down her throat. To her, it was like acknowledging that the slap she'd received hurt. Which it did, but her mother didn't need to know that. "Nor do I care for Pierre! He's nothing more than a spoilt, whiny little brat!"

"You will not speak of your future husband in that appalling manner!"

"I shall speak the truth, for he is _not _my future husband!"

"You will marry Neveau, and that is final!" yelled Mrs. Rose, standing up and slamming a hand on the table.

"No, I won't!" shouted Andrea, also rising so that they were eye to eye. "I'm a legal adult now! You can't force me to do anything!"

"Really, Andrea Persephone?" she said mockingly, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow. "You know, I can make your life a living nightmare after Hogwarts. You have nowhere to go but back to the manor. You have nowhere to go but to _me!_"

"I can get a flat of my own," answered Andrea in a would-be calm voice, but there was a definite tremor of fear in her words.

"Is that so?" replied Mrs. Rose silkily. "I've no doubt that you have _some _money at your disposal despite your feather-brained ways, but that money will not last."

"I-I'll get a job."

"Oh? And what job might that be?"

"I…" Andrea hesitated. "I want to be an Auror."

"You will do no such thing," she said sternly. "You are the descendent of the Le' Amore family, heiress to one of the largest wizarding businesses in Europe! Not only must my bloodline remain in it, but I will hardly allow any child of mine to be involved in such uncivilized dueling everyday."

"Protecting the innocent is hardly 'uncivilized dueling'!" protested Andrea heatedly. "And I don't want to manage your stupid business!"

"Not only will you manage it, Andrea Persephone, but when you marry Pierre you will merge together with the Neveau's manage theirs too!"

"I won't!" cried Andrea vehemently, as though she wanted to make her mother understand through the sheer power of her voice. "I will not marry that berk! And I absolutely refuse to enter that dishonest, scheming world of politics and business that you call a job!"

Her mother stared at her for a moment before tucking back a single strand of hair that had escaped her chignon. She gave a smile that Andrea found far from comforting and sat down. Andrea followed the suit, but instead of being reassured, she was all the more worried.

"Would you agree that I hold a powerful position in the wizarding community, Andrea Persephone?" she asked, delicately placing the tips of her fingers together.

"Yes," said Andrea slowly. Even someone who lived under a rock would have heard of Priscilla L' Amore Rose. She was a renowned businesswoman, shrewd and calculating, also known for her diplomatic and negotiating skills. Every other week, she'd hold a ball that only the most prominent social figures in Europe were invited to. To be put simply, she reined supreme in the world of glitz and glamour.

"Correct," she replied shortly. "I suppose you heard about what happened to Olivia Davidson?"

Andrea racked her brains. During the holidays, she was forced to attend the parties held by her mother and her contacts (either friend, supposed friend or enemy. There was just no such thing as not inviting Mrs. Rose to any sort of social event.). Being a natural gossip, she managed to pick up a lot of scandals and news about snotty cows everywhere. "Olivia Davidson… she was the owner of a four star hotel, wasn't she?"

"The keyword, my daughter, is 'was'," she said, smiling in satisfaction. "How do you suppose that keyword came to be?"

"Her… her business went down," said Andrea, the horrible realization of what her mother was implying sank in, "You…" she whispered. "You did that."

"Yes," she replied airily, "I did. But it was merely in retaliation. She called me a right little bitch when I bought some stocks that she had been aiming for. It was easy, Andrea Persephone," she looked at her, her pretty mouth twisting into a cruel smile. "Far too easy. In this world, my word is law. I simply made an announcement that I was boycotting her precious little hotels, and they could either be with me, or with her. She was forced to close them down a few months later."

She leaned forward. "You get it, don't you Andrea Persephone? I may not be able to make you come back to the manor, but you _will _do as I say! When I am through spreading the word about you, you won't even be accepted as a barmaid at the Hog's Head!"

"_I'm your daughter!_" she hissed disbelievingly.

"And I'm your mother," came the unfazed reply. "I'm your mother who has contacts in every nook and cranny of the wizarding world. I'm your mother who's married to the ambassador of England. I'm your mother who can ruin your life if you do not do as I please!"

Andrea looked at her helplessly. She was trapped, and they both knew it.

"I'll be taking you out of Hogwarts right after your Mock NEWTs," she said casually. "Now, how would you like a summer wedding? France is beautiful at that time of year."

"But…" Andrea said, despite the fact that she had nothing to say.

"But what?" asked her mother, letting you a bell-like laugh that many who didn't know her well found charming. "There's nothing here at Hogwarts that could _possibly _convince me to let you stay-"

"Andrea, darling!"

At the sound of someone tromping noisily up the stairs, Mrs. Rose waved her wand at her daughter's cheek, making the cuts and blood disappear. Andrea refrained from rolling her eyes. To Priscilla Rose, image was everything.

She turned around to face the speaker, wondering whom it was and how they managed to get into the office without being noticed earlier. Deep brown eyes sparkled under the dark hair that fell perfectly over them and a pair of lips that made girls drool pecked her on the cheek. She withheld a gasp of astonishment at the sight of the undeniably handsome countenance of Sirius Black.

……

James Potter was decidedly _not _having a good time.

First, he'd gotten into a fight with just about the only sentient being he knew in the entire forest. Then, he'd tramped around for hours aimlessly, looking for familiar landmarks (Still thinking about Lily.) before he realized that he could've just changed into a stag and found his way to Hogwarts by following the trail the Marauders left every full moon. After that, just as he was _finally _picking up the trail to the school, his sensitive ears picked up a faint scream. Changing back into his human form, he paced back and forth, wondering frantically if that was Lily.

And then to top it all off, a Niffler (a Niffler of all things!) suddenly leapt out of the ground, tried to bite him a few times before nicking his glasses and running away.

James sighed and sat down, bringing his knees to his chest and squinting at his surroundings. Everything was a blur of green and brown thanks to that stupid Niffler. His mind turned back to the scream he'd heard and the image of a redhead that came with it.

Lily.

Merlin, he groaned inwardly, letting his head fall to his knees. He couldn't stop thinking about her! Two seconds after she'd stomped away, he wanted to rush after her and apologise to her, to tell her to stick with him so he could protect her, but his pride held him back. He doubted she'd ever been into the Forest and would've had a much harder time getting out that himself. When they'd both stormed off, there'd been a definite limp in her step. Lord, she could be lying, hurt and bleeding as animals ripped through her still-warm flesh…

He punched the ground angrily at the thought of her harmed in anyway. That's it, he decided firmly, standing up and nearly slamming into a tree. I'm damn well going to find her even if I have to comb the entire Forest by myself!

With a pop, a majestic white stag stood in his place, and thankfully, his vision sharpened. He sniffed around, looking for the scent of another human, but to his dismay, there was nothing of that sort in the damp, humid air. Strangely, there was a smell that he'd only encountered once or twice before. He breathed in deeply and thought carefully, it was like a person who spent a _lot _of time around horses.

A clip-clopping sound startled him out of his thoughts and he stared at the source of the scent that had befuddled him. A very young centaur stepped towards him tentatively.

"You are the Potter boy," said Firenze, a statement, not a question. James supposed that some form of astonishment must have shown on his face, because the next moment, he said. "I know, for I have heard the elder's talk of you and your friends. A group of students who are illegal Animagi, running around our Forest and the village with a werewolf every full moon," he looked at James seriously. "They do not like you."

James changed back and gave the other a hard glare, which would have been more imposing had he not been looking slightly left of where his original target was. "Remus isn't just a werewolf!"

"I know of that, Potter boy," he replied, seemingly unperturbed. "We centaurs too have been looked down upon. We do not discriminate those who do not deserve it, just because of blood or calamity," he glanced around before saying, "but this is not why I have come to you."

"What?" said James, unsure whether he could trust the centaur.

"Another girl who came into the forest with you is in danger," he said, "she has fiery red hair, green eyes and a very loud voice-"

"Lily!" said James, his eyes widening. He took a step nearer. "Where is she? What's happened?"

"She's hurt and has fallen into a pit," he answered. "She cannot escape. It is not safe for her for there are many nocturnal predators there."

"How do you know this?" asked James shakily.

"My father, several other centaurs and myself heard her cries for help. They refused to help her for fear of disturbing what was to be."

"What?" exclaimed James angrily. "You mean you just _left _her there? What crap is this?"

"We must hurry, Potter boy," said Firenze, showing the first signs of agitation. "Not only is she helpless, but I will be severely disgraced if my family finds out about this."

In a blink of an eye, James was a stag again. Both of them raced off, Firenze leading the way. He seemed to know shortcuts, leading them between boulders and over walls of logs. Minutes later, James could smell the soft scent of peach that Lily always had.

Just in front of a stand of trees, Firenze halted. "I must leave now," he sad nervously. "I cannot be seen bringing you here," he pointed to somewhere beyond the greenery. "She's behind that-"

Without even waiting for him to finish his sentence, James bolted forward, bursting through the foliage.

The sight that greeted him was not a pleasant one. Surrounding the pit was a pack of Dark Wolves, six salivating ruthless creatures, all alpha males. They prowled around the edge, assessing how dangerous their victim was before they pounced.

James froze for a second, but at the sight of Lily in the midst of danger, he let out a loud bellow and charged towards them.

They were unprepared for his sudden entrance and scattered wildly. James attacked them, ramming his large rack of antlers into the nearest one; the force of his blow powered by his fear for Lily made the wolf fly into the air and land with a thud, unconscious. The rest of the pack looked at their fallen comrade and took a step back, narrowing their yellow eyes. They looked at James, trying to figure out if he was worth giving up their prey for.

James stood strong and tall, separating them from Lily. He let out another cry that said clearly, 'Lay off! She's mine!' The Dark Wolves merely growled in return. They fanned out, what seemed to be their leader stood at the front. As most leaders of vicious groups were, this one looked meaner and tougher than the rest. He was large, bristling with fur, tooth and nail. A particularly nasty scar over one cruel eye and similar battle tokens proved him to be the victor of many fights.

With a menacing snarl, he leapt at James who barely sidestepped the blow. Wicked claws tore through his flank upon rebound, but he turned sharply, hitting the wolf's side with his namesake. His opponent rolled but managed to land on his feet. The two fighters circled warily, trying to predict the other's next move. James tried to butt the Dark Wolf again, but his opponent was prepared, nimbly leaping out of the way. Instead, his teeth nearly nicked James's neck. James jumped away; he knew that if the poison got into his bloodstream, he was done for.

They parried more; swift blows darted to and fro. While the wolf had experience and the merciless instinct of an animal, James had human intelligence and the desire to protect something he cared for. All in all, they were evenly matched. As James ducked a swipe of claws, sliding slightly on the moist ground, he felt himself tiring. They'd been at it for sometime, and he needed to end it quickly before the wolf sensed his weakness.

Quickly, he reared up on his hind legs like a horse and slammed his front hooves into the wolf's belly, temporarily stunning and winding it from the unexpected move. With a swift motion, he bent low, scooping the other up with his large antlers. He strained his neck muscles to the extreme and heaved, flinging him a few feet away towards his followers.

The other Dark Wolves looked cowed and disconcerted at their leader's defeat. Dragging their unconscious companions with them, they turned tail and fled.

He moved towards Lily who was still sitting in the mud, gaping at him with undisguised awe. Her mind was reeling. A stag, some random stag had just popped out of nowhere and saved her from a gory death (which involved her bones being stuck between serrated teeth.). After she'd been pushed into a magical cupboard, met a Niffler, been abandoned by centaurs and eyed up by wolves, it was really a rather lot to take in. As her savior's piercing hazel eyes examined her shaking form, all she could do was gawp.

Wearily, when James had convinced himself that there wasn't much physical damage that he could see, he stumbled into the undergrowth and turned back to a human, heading towards Lily, hoping that she wouldn't notice his excellent timing. He stumbled back out with a long branch in hand. Leaning over the rim, he was able to hold out the branch and allow Lily to clutch to it like a lifeline. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he realized as he pulled her up, that it wasn't quite normal to have a Niffler clinging onto your leg as the one that was clinging onto Lily's.

She stared at him with her mouth opening and closing, her face splattered with mud and drawn from exhaustion, before throwing her arms around him and bawling loudly. He himself was so drained that he could barely register the fact that not only was Lily Evans hugging him willingly, she was _crying._

Minutes later, both teens had collapsed on the ground, sleeping peacefully in each other's arms.

……

"What're you doing here?" blurted out Andrea. She was very much afraid, not only could Sirius worsen the already horrendous situation, but he would also find out what her family was truly like. Something she'd been trying to hide from everybody for years.

"I heard your mother was here!" said Sirius buoyantly, looking into her eyes meaningfully, trying to convey some hidden message she was obviously not receiving. "Andrea _dear_, don't you remember? I've been wanting to meet your darling mother for ages now!"

He looked at Mrs. Rose and gave her a smile that would've melted a heart of stone.

Unfortunately, it had absolutely no effect on her.

"Exactly whom," she said disdainfully, pausing to give Sirius a look that reminded him of a cat eyeing a particularly scrawny rat, "might you be?"

"I'm Andrea's boyfriend," he said. He gave a polite bow and kissed her hand swiftly. She blinked, not appalled, but surprised at his well-bred manners. "Sirius Black is the name."

"Black?" Mrs. Rose's attitude changed immediately. "Sirius Black of the Noble House of Black? Whose blood has run pure since the Middle Ages?"

"The very one," said Sirius easily, but his smile seemed rather forced. He took her hand and squeezed it, lest she say something she'd regret. Andrea who had been gaping at Sirius disbelievingly since he'd appeared finally managed to regain her composure. "Do you know my darling mother?"

"I've heard of her, certainly, but I'm afraid we don't run in the same circles," replied Mrs. Rose. She was still examining Sirius critically, but without a hint of disapproval on her face. "Your family has a wonderful reputation, lots of services to charity and relatives with prestigious positions."

_And you're damn rich and powerful, _added Andrea silently, knowing what her mother was thinking.

"Indeed," said Sirius, though Andrea noticed his eyes were tightening around the edges. "In fact, my great-great-grandfather, Phineas Nigellus used to run this very school."

"Really," said Mrs. Rose, turning to the empty portrait with green hangings. "I'm sure he managed his school with a far sterner hand than its current headmaster does."

Though Sirius's jaw clenched, he gave a charming smile and said, "To each his own."

Mrs. Rose nodded and waved her wand, conjuring an uncomfortable looking antique chair. "Do have a seat, Mr. Black," she said. "I'd like to ask you a few things."

Andrea stiffened and dug her nails into her palm as Sirius sat beside her. She knew what this was. The exact same thing had happened to the first, last and only boyfriend she'd brought home. Interrogation.

"Please," he said, with another heart-winning grin, "call me Sirius."

"Alright then, _Sirius_," she said with smile that didn't reach her eyes. "What do you think of our Minister's latest announcement? Rather affects the economy, don't you think?"

Andrea bit her lip. This is it! She wailed despondently in her mind. How does she expect teenagers to know about current affairs? Especially teenagers like Sirius Black! As far as she knew, his only concern was a girl to snog and treacle tart for desert!

"I believe you speak of the proposition about the embargo against flying carpets?" said Sirius smoothly, causing both mother and daughter in blink in surprise. "Though we may no longer be allowed to import carpets due to the enforcement of rules, I don't believe that it will damage our economy. After all, the production of brooms has risen, earning Britain a respectable reputation for producing quality transportation. Besides that, family brooms have begun to come into the market. Not only will this work just as well as carpets, it will actually reduce the money flow out of the country as we're buying our own products."

"Really?" said Mrs. Rose, her smile seemed slightly warmer this time. "Then again, it may be years before someone in the Ministry takes serious action. Do you think that there may be any other effects due to the Minister's announcement?"

"Yes, the Ministry does tend to dawdle doesn't it? I personally believe that Mr. Bartemius Crouch would make a good candidate as the Minister of Magic."

Andrea stared at him, how on earth did he know that her mother was a huge supporter of Couch's? Social gossip perhaps? Then, she frowned, hadn't she just heard him snarling about Crouch a few days ago during breakfast? Something about being a heartless bastard.

"I completely agree," said Mrs. Rose firmly. "He certainly does know how to take matters to hand. About my earlier question…"

"Well, our political connection with Asian countries may weaken. After all, the export of carpets to Britain has always brought in a hefty income for them," said Sirius thoughtfully. "However, this will have to be one of the little sacrifices made in order to enforce the law. According to the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects, carpets are defined as a Muggle Artefact. Rules are important after all, imagine what a mess England would be in if there weren't any!"

Sirius flashed a sincere smile while Andrea had to bite her lip to stop herself from bursting into hysterical laughter. Sirius Black, troublemaker extraordinaire was discussing about the importance of rules with her mother, who bribed, sabotaged and black mailed her way to success! It was too much.

"You are an unusually mature and thoughtful young man," said Mrs. Rose, approval layered on every word. "Tell me, Sirius, what do you know about business?"

"I know enough," said Sirius modestly.

"Judging by the current circumstances of our country, which company's stocks and shares do you think will rise in the near future?"

"As we've been hearing constant news of Dark Wizards, companies in the security and insurance business will certainly make a huge profit. If there's one thing humans are scared of, it's death. Thus, with the rumour of danger about, I imagine that people will be looking for spells and enchantments to keep themselves safe," answered Sirius. "This will also lower business for companies that provide relaxation and pleasure like 'Holly's Happy Holidays' or brooms for joy riding and Quidditch. In fact, I hear that the Silver Arrow production line is going down while…"

Andrea tuned out his voice, getting lost in her thoughts. It was absurd, really, she decided. To have Sirius Black (_Sirius Black!)_, a boy she didn't much like or know, just barge in and declare himself her boyfriend. It was even stranger that he knew the exact moment to show up, and the exact thing to say. She compressed her lips, her quick mind running over the possibilities. Had he been listening somehow? She mulled over the ways he could have done so (and there were many of that, ranging from him being able to turn into a potted plant to having amazing psychic powers. She dismissed the last one with disgust, he had after all, written on his last piece of Divination homework that he needn't pass it up as their professor would be dead before the date was due.)

"Don't purse your lips like that, Andrea Persephone," snapped her mother. Andrea looked up, apparently the interrogation was over and Sirius had passed with flying colours. "Now Sirius," said Mrs. Rose with a smile that Andrea usually saw when she was about to close a large deal. "How did you and my daughter get together?"

Sirius reached over for her hand and held it with both of his. His skin was slightly rough from Quidditch. She knew that it was so cliché as she thought of it, but their hands fit perfectly together. He clasped her palms to his chest and looked lovingly into her eyes. She herself struck upon a lovesick air and gave a saccharine smile.

"I was partnered with her for Potions, and it was then that I finally saw the beauty in front of me that I'd be ignorant of after all these years," said Sirius wistfully, Andrea inclined her head bashfully, in reality trying to cover up the snigger she felt bubbling up her throat.

"I remember the first time I really looked at her," he continued. "She was chopping up newt livers with this tiny frown right here," he lay a finger in between her eyebrows. Even Andrea couldn't help but giggle.

"She does tend to do that though she shouldn't. It'll cause frown lines, seeing as being pretty is the only asset you've got, I suggest you take my advice for once," she said, completely untouched by Sirius's story. "What off you, Andrea Persephone? What's your side to this tale?"

Sirius gave her hand another reassuring squeeze and she cleared her throat. "Well, the newt livers slipped out from under my knife ('clumsy girl,' sniffed Mrs. Rose.) and Sirius had to help me pick them up. When I looked at him, I felt this fluttery feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was then he asked me out."

"Really?" was all she said.

"Yes," cut in Sirius, seeing as how all of Andrea's creativity had been sapped away by her mother. "Over the shimmering fumes and dancing flames did our love begin to bloom. Our relationship progressed from there, and I can quite honestly say that I've never felt this way about anyone else before."

Mrs. Rose stayed silent for a few seconds, and then she said. "What is your ambition, Sirius?"

"To become and Auror," he said without hesitation. At the obvious souring of Andrea's mother's face, he added. "From what I hear, so does Andrea. Can you imagine it, Mrs. Rose?" said Sirius, raising his arm like he was gesturing to a billboard. "'**Top Aurors of the Year! Best Couple the Ministry Ever Had! Sirius Black and Andrea Rose!'** A huge page on the Daily Prophet! How proud would you be when you hear that your daughter is the Ministry's number one Auror?"

Andrea frowned, had he been listening somehow? No one but Lily and Taylor knew about her ambition. After all, most of the school thought she wasn't smart enough to actually get a job, much less an elite position like an Auror.

Mrs. Rose's expression changed and became thoughtful. Knowing it would take another tiny prod to push her towards agreement, Andrea added quietly, "I heard that Mrs. Cartwright's daughter couldn't make it through Auror training."

"Well then," she said with another frosty smile. "Perhaps being an Auror is a rather respectable career. And Hogwarts is really quite a good school, with Sirius here, it's certainly worth it," she gave Andrea a meaningful look. "I think I will let you finish your studies here."

"That's wonderful, Mrs. Rose!" said Sirius with true enthusiasm.

"I know," she said bluntly. "Now if you don't mind, Sirius, I'd like to say a few things to Andrea Persephone before I leave."

"Of course," said Sirius, disappearing down the stairs, but in truth disappearing under James's Invisibility Cloak.

When she saw that Sirius was nowhere in sight, she said. "For the moment, I believe that Black will do. I, frankly, find it amazing that you managed to accomplish something useful for once."

"Oh," she said, unsure of what she was supposed to say. "Does this mean that I … I needn't marry Neveau and take over the business?"

"I suppose not," she said with a sniff, not noticing Andrea's face of suppressed glee. "As for the whole Auror thing, you just make sure you do better than Melinda Cartwright did."

"Yes, Mother," she said, her eyes sparkling.

"But, I may consider matching you up with Neveau again if you ever break up with Black."

"_What?_" choked Andrea. "You mean I've got to be with him fo… _forever_?"

"Unless you wish to become a Mrs. Neveau," she said briskly. "I know Pierre will wait, he's very keen on you."

"What if Sirius doesn't want to stay with me?"

"Then get pregnant," she said -as though it was a completely normal thing to do- ,picking up her handbag.

Andrea's jaw hung open, but a second later; she was over her initial shock. Standing up, her eyes blazed with fury, "Fine," she bit out. "But just to be sure, you're telling me that as long as I'm with Sirius, you won't force me into marriage or a job as head of your company?"

"Yes," she said. "So you best keep him Andrea Persephone."

"Wait," said Andrea grimly, snatching one of the sharp, spindly things from Dumbledore's desk. She cut her skin and held her hand up to show the trickle of blood escaping from the wound. "Wizard's Oath. We'll exchange blood to seal those promises."

"You needn't have done that, Andrea Persephone," said Mrs. Rose.

"Yes, I did," said Andrea stonily.

"You have become paranoid," she replied tonelessly. Her eyes flickered, as if she was realizing for the first time what an untrusting and shrewd person her daughter had become. She didn't flinch as the cold metal kissed her palm, "but this maybe the best habit you've ever had."

They shook hands, neither woman's face showed any sign of pain as the torn skin met and blood flowed. "I keep my word, Andrea Persephone," she said. "But very well, I swear upon my family's name of L' Amore, whose pureblood has run for over 12 generations that I shall not force you into a marriage nor a future you do not wish to as long as you stay with Sirius Black."

They released each other's hands. "I must leave now," said her mother, drawing back and wiping the blood away gingerly with a silk handkerchief. "Business with the Minister of Belgium."

"Just remember," said Andrea harshly, "I still hold the ultimate key to opening the door to the cupboard with all your skeletons that could destroy your career."

"Oh?" said Mrs. Rose, her lips twisting into an ugly smile. "You should know that it's never a good idea to use the same key to open too many doors. After all, whatever's inside might just spring out and… overwhelm you." Her eyes shot daggers, glittering with the unspoken threat.

"Goodbye, Mother," she said, her tone civil but weighed own by hatred and sadness.

Without even replying, the bane that had caused her so much trouble disappeared into the emerald green flames. At once, like a puppet whose strings had been cut, Andrea collapsed to her knees, pressing her bleeding hand against her uniform.

Sirius threw off the Invisibility Cloak and ran to her side, using his wand to mend the broken skin. Andrea looked at him with tears running down her face, "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I always break down after her visits."

Awkwardly, he pulled the sobbing girl into a hug and patted her on the back, unsure of what he was to do. And as abruptly as she'd started crying, she stopped. She pulled back and stared at him, though her face was shining with tears, the mask of steel that had been present throughout her mother's visit slipped back in place.

"I'm fine now," she said dully. "Don't worry, I'm not as perfect as she wants me to be, but I made sure that there was a loophole when we made the oath. As long as I'm _with _you, as in somewhere near you, like in Hogwarts, I've kept my end of the bargain."

She stood up and dusted her robes, swiping the tears from her cheeks. "I'll figure out how to deal with the rest of it after we leave Hogwarts… you know… get some obnoxiously rich fiancé or something," she walked to the exit and said. "Don't worry, I won't ask you for anything. I already owe you so much for spouting out lies and helping me."

"Hey," he called out to her, getting up himself, "not everything I said was a lie."

She gave him a bewildered look.

"I was telling the truth when I said that I'd never felt like this about anyone else before," said Sirius with a smile. "You're the most confusing person I've ever met."

**A/N: Oh My God! Do you _know _how many words I've just typed? DO YOU! Over 13000 words, baby! My longest chapter EVER! I'm expecting a damn long review from you people! And since my birthday is coming soon… (hint, hint.) OK, well, I've finally gotten through this chapter. You guys'll get to find out more about Andrea's family in the coming chapter, and probably what James did to Lily in the first year too! So, give me huge reviews as a birthday present! I'm not sure I can update any nearer to my birthday anyway… I'm really not sure what I want to write about next.**

**I'm sorry if the whole Dark Wolf thing was lame, but I don't know any creatures in the Forbidden Forest. I don't have the book 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' despite my continuous efforts... So, that's the best I could come up with.**

**Anyway, I want to say this. I've just watched PoA. I know it's rather late, I mean it's been out for a year! But I was grounded when it came out and when I bought the disc, the only thing I could see was Harry's glasses floating around in the dark. Today, I finally remembered I hadn't watched it and borrowed the disc from my friend. And, I can only say one thing.**

**I am appalled.**

**What the bloody hell happened to the Marauders! Where was the brotherhood and close friendship! (Author trembling with anger.) Oh, sure, it's all fine and dandy, just about EVERY part except the ones involving the Marauders was well done!**

**Did they explain how Remus was part of the Marauders! NO! Did they say how much James and Sirius helped him by risking life and limb to become Animagus! Hell bloody no! Did they _manage to convey the deep bonding and unbreakable friendship between the 3! NO!_**

**I can't help it, I'm fuming! What was that crap? Remus sounded half in love with Lily! And Harry! Harry just believed them! In the book at least, it took some convincing, but here! God, here! He just saw Pettigrew pop out in rat form and voila, oh look! I believe you lot even though I viciously hated you moments before! And did they mention how Remus, Sirius, James and Pettigrew were connected to the Marauders? Or about James's Animagus form! UGH!**

**I'm not saying it was completely horrible, actually, I thought it was good, better than the last 2 at least. But… god… Ok… calming down now. Although I hated the fact that Gary Oldman was Sirius, he played the part of a misunderstood murderer/ innocent damn well. Still, I prefer the Sirius in the books… you know, more sane. Then again, the movie did manage to captivate me, especially near the end, when Sirius rode on Buckbeak towards the moon.**

**On to review replies!**

**Shadyday9: Thank you! Yeah, sweet 16! You make sure you leave me a lovely, long review! I didn't think of Aberforth! You know, I think that the person sneaking into the pub was Mundungus, working for Voldemort as an information supplier or something. And since Dumbledore helped him out, he's in debt! (I love making theories!) Oh, I'm from a country called Malaysia, it's really small and boring. You?**

**Ann black: Really? That's so cool! What's it like there? Thank you! Well, I'm not from Europe. In fact, I live in a little country in South-East Asia called Malaysia. Although not many people in my country speak English, after all our national language is Bahasa Melayu (which I incidentally stink at.), I grew up with an English speaking family. Please review!**

**Queenelf101: Well, this chapter should help slightly! And, as mentioned above, you'll find out about the whole first year thing in the coming chapter or two.**

**TacoBeesh: And I'll try not to hold the fact that you don't like cheerleaders against you. Although I don't see what's so bad about it. Anyway, thank you very much! Although the whole prank war thing is over, I'll try to insert humour here and there. But warning! The next few chapters are going to be serious ones!**

**Pandawitch1616: You should post your stories! I mean, you never know till you try! As for Andrea's family, she's a pureblood, hence, she's got a lot of cousins, second cousins and the like. Liz is just one of the ones she's close to. Oh, do you mean like doing 'blah, blah, blah…' or 'blah, blah, blah-'? Well, that's just my style of writing. I'm too used to it to change. Thank you, I consider it an amazing honor to be compared to J. K. Rowling! Can't wait for her new book!**

**Darak: Well, I mentioned in the first chapter that she wasn't sure if she had enough time to spring up and grab her wand. After all, Mrs. Dursley might decide she was mad and walk off before she got back.**

**Anonymuz: Hi, did I review your story? I'm sorry, people have asked but I keep forgetting whether or not I've done it! Thanks!**

**wudnulike2know: Yep, I am, and I'm proud of it! Oh, no, my exams are like OWLs, it's one that all the students in my country take when we're 15.**

**Story Weaver1: Yes, I grant your request. Let us now imagine curses and hexes flying from every corner towards that blasted woman! Hahahahaha! (going mad.) Yeah, well, I had a mental breakdown like that about 2 years ago, so I pretty much knew how to write it.**

**Dovasery: And I raise my glass to _you._ Thank you so much! God, after I read your review, I couldn't stop smiling! I love the way you left comments about each chapter! You gave loads of interesting comments and really made my day! Yeah, and as for the JKR bit, I am not worthy! Seriously, she's totally revolutionized literature! I hope that it won't either, I've got a rough idea of how I'm ending it, right down to the epilogue, but, you know, I haven't actually written it yet.**

**Freelancer477: Well, I want to kind of develop their relationships. So, they'll be like friends for a while and… I can't tell you! I planned how they'd get together for so long! I don't want to spoil the surprise!**

**FlOrA: Hey! Thank you, and yeap, it went amazingly! I got the equivalent of 12 OWLs! So, I also get an amazingly expensive hand phone I've been eyeing (my last one was confiscated.).**

**Hppigeonluv: Well, Sirius said that they got together in their 7th year, but he didn't say _when _in the 7th year. So, I think it's reasonable to believe that they started dating either midway or at the end of it. And thank you!**

**Phoenix Lumen: You're right! I'm sorry, I always have typos. People have offered to beta for me a few times, but I'd rather not. I can't stand waiting!**

**Ms. Lippy: Thanks for the suggestion, but I already have her based on someone I know… she's a real person in my world.**

**Kat44: Really? I didn't know it was done before! Which fics? And I've updated, not very fast, but a hell lot better than 4 months! Anyway, thank you!**

**Xxxsapphiretearxxx: Thank you! I got obsessed with HP when I was like 10. My brother introduced me to the books, telling me that if I didn't like it, he'd give me money. And, I fell madly in love with it. It was only after the 5th book that I realized what an amazing, gorgeous sexy person Sirius was! And am now obsessed with him! Sure, when you post it, tell me, I'll be glad to read it! Can't help it, I'm my worse critic. Like now, I just read over this chapter to check for mistakes, and I was wincing all the way because I didn't like a lot of parts… but I can't think of anyway to correct it. Just hope that you guys aren't as critical as I am.**

**Mae513: Thank you! You've hit the nail right on the head. The point of that conversation was to show their other sides, and soon, you'll be seeing more of how deliciously sweet Sirius can be! (drools)**

**Anngel from Hell: Of course you can use her name! Geez, I don't own it! As long as you don't steal her character or anything. Anyway, thanks and good luck with your story!**

**Faithwings: Well, the discussion was of the whole Beauxbatons thing, I mentioned it above! Thank you so, so much! I hope you did well for your exams!**

**Nisha: Thank you! I'm truly honoured that you reread my story! About the Taylor thing, well, you can assume what happened to her, it's of no great consequence, but I think I'll tell you guys what happened when you find out about the first year incident. Yeah, I live in Malaysia, and let me tell you, it's dead boring. Oh, poor girl! It must've been hard leaving America! I feel sad for you, but if it's of any help, my family isn't a picnic either. In fact, Andrea's family is loosely based on mine, I say loosely because it's not so extreme. Well, if you ever do come to Malaysia, got to Kuala Lumpur! I love the shopping there!**

**Legallyred: Ooh, thanks for the tip! Didn't know that! Ok… geez, I didn't know that. You know, in PoA the movie, it's like Hermione is madly in love with Harry _and _Ron. Gah.**

**ApplePie: Thank you! I do tend to make sure things go slowly as it seems more realistic, but I'm always afraid that it's dragged out!**

**Elladora D. Jobberknoll: Sure, no problem! Yeah, she is, I had a nervous breakdown two years ago and I drove my friends mad with my insanity. Filch _does _do an amazing job as a slimy bitter caretaker! As for the cupboard, yep, it is!**

**Yeoldecrazy: Frankly, I'm not a fan of Christmas… the whole family thing. My friends always stare at me like I'm mad when I tell them that. Anyway, the cupboard was still there when Harry and co got to school! That's where I got the idea. In fact, it was mentioned twice. The second time was by Fred/ George (can't remember which.), they pushed Montague into it. As for whether or not they work out their problems, yeah, they will! Things are really taking a turn now! Even so, I never ever want to deal with organizing anything again! Gah!**

**Evahyoung: Well, she might cut or it the scars might be someone else's doing, you'll find out soon! Nope, not yet – _yet- _I don't like people to jump into relationships, saying that they're madly in love.**

**SeCrEt LiLy: Thank you! I'm always afraid that people don't like them! That's the risky thing about OC's, especially girl ones.**

**DanceDiva: Many, many thanks! Yeah, Andrea's freak out was probably realistic because I have experience with that sort of thing. It was only once, and I never ever want to feel like that again. Anyway, this chapter should answer some of your answers!**

**Mrsjesspotter: I'm sorry you think I'm taking too long, but I really hate it when people just go, 'Oh, I hate him,' then maybe a hot snogging session, and 'Oh, I love him!'. It _really _ticks me off, so I have a tendency to make sure things progress properly. Thank you!**

**Lena-jade: Thank you! Yeah, I'm working to correct that. I want to redo a few chapters and get rid of the mistakes. I don't suppose you know if I'll lose reviews by doing that? Hope you did well with your mid terms! And yes, I'm an evil person! Sorry, couldn't resist the whole cliffie! Actually, I find the concept of exams in January rather strange. But that's probably because I'm from a different country. We only get back to school in Janaury.**

**PruePotter: Thank you! Anyway, I hope you did well for you exams. If it help, I slept through my History exam, bloody Coke and menstrual pills'll do that to you.**

**Orient Fox: Hey! Well, yeah, of course! But I'm going to take it slowly, loads of winding twists and turns!**

**Pigwidgeon188: Good guess! And, yep, you're right! Am I really that predictable?**

**Emrisah: Dah-ling, I do love you! (I meant that in a non-lesbian-ish way, thanks very much.) As for the scars, that'll come out in the next chapter, I'm not sure how to write the scene though. It'll be hard… (ponders.) Anyway, thanks for the review!**

**GoldenStar: Well, you'll find out all about it in the next chapter. But, I rather thought that I already hinted that it was her mom. Thank you!**

**A/N: Ok, that's all then! OMG! I just counted my reviewers and you guys have given me a total of 115 reviews for my last chapter! I so love you!**


	14. Secrets Unveiled

**A/N: I'm sorry, but this is the first time I've been able to get on the net in months! My parents dismantled the computer! Can you believe it? I mean, how evil can you get? Anyway, I'm well aware of the fact that it's been nearly a year since I updated.. but… gawd. It was SO bloody hard writing this chapter! It's so important and crucial! **

**Disclaimer: I own zilch. **

There was a smell of mint, musk and the Quidditch pitch just after the grass had been cut. Lily breathed the scent in deeply, enjoying the assurance it somehow brought to her. She shifted her head a bit on the very warm and comfortable pillow before nuzzling it. Her arms hugged it tightly and she smiled, unable to remember the last time she'd felt so at peace.

Then she heard the annoying buzzing of a mosquito in her ear. Instinctively, she flung out an arm to slap it, but ended up hitting something larger and much more solid instead.

"Ow…" groaned a voice from somewhere above her.

Lily jerked back in surprise, rolling on the ground away from her very much alive pillow. She stared upon the sleepy face of James Potter as he sat up and rubbed the jaw she'd hit. Seeing him immediately brought back memories she had been free of in her sleep. She saw centaurs… a Niffler... salivating beasts and finally… a stag rushing in to save her.

She blinked as she realized that she had been staring blankly at James.

"Are you ok?" asked James, looking at her in concern.

"Stag," she blurted out thoughtlessly, her mind still focused on her mysterious savior.

"What?" asked James, his face suddenly closing up, even so, he could not hide the worried look in his eyes. "What did you say?"

"Stag," repeated Lily. "I… it… did you… see a stag when you got me out of that hole?"

"No," said James immediately, with a funny expression on his face. "Why?"

"You wouldn't believe me," said Lily, turning away.

"Try me," insisted James.

"Why should I?"

"Just do it!"

"No!"

"I'll tell you why, Evans," said James angrily, his temper beginning to wear thin. "Because we're the only two people in the entire forest and if you're going to act like an immature brat the whole way through, we can kiss our chances of getting out of here goodbye!"

Lily drew back, partly from fear at his rage, but mostly because his words rung true.

"I know this forest, Evans," continued James. "I've been here time and time again for different reasons. Let me tell you, there are creatures here that could kill us both in a million ways before sundown. So if you want to live, we're going to need to work together. And _that_ is really not going to happen if you refuse to even answer a simple question!"

Lily stared at him, slightly stunned. She flushed, realizing that she really was acting badly… and for once, he was being the more logical of the two.

He mistook her silent embarrassment for fury, and sighed, "Look… I shouldn't have yelled at you, but we will need to stop arguing and actually get along if we want to get back to Hogwarts," he ran a hand through his already rumpled hair distractedly –not noticing her flash of annoyance- and stuck out his other one. "So, truce?"

With an abashed smile," Lily took it. "Truce," she echoed softly. "And… s-sorry for being such a prat just now." He would never know how much it cost her to stutter out those words.

"Ah, think nothing of it," he said, a tinge of red creeping up his cheeks. He bent over to pick up his glasses that the Niffler had left on the ground, said Niffler was no where to be found. Not that James lost any sleep over that. "We better get moving. I'll try to find the paths Hagrid uses when we get detention; we should be able to avoid most of the predators that way."

She blinked in surprise at his mature attitude. It was odd, she mulled, she could have sworn that he would've gloated like a first year about her mistake.

"Coming?" he said, pushing through the foliage.

"Yeah," she said, shaken out of her thoughts. Hesitantly, she continued. "By the way, you know that question you asked me?"

"About the stag?" he said, immediately turning around.

"Well, it was because there _was _one before you came, you see… and I didn't want to tell you, because it sounds so ridiculous, but it saved my life from these Wolves," she looked at him, almost daring him to laugh. "Anyway, I don't know where it went because it disappeared so quickly," she finished, still feeling rather foolish.

He merely nodded, with a closed expression on his face and said, "I thought I heard some ruckus as I came."

"Right. About that," she added, forcing herself to say the words, "thank you. For… coming back for me."

"Evans," he said quietly. "I know you think I'm scum, but I would never leave someone when I know that they're in danger. I felt horrible for arguing with you, and I blamed myself when I saw you in that hole. I may be arrogant. And I may like to play pranks and break rules. But I believe in honor and in helping others."

Lily stared at him oddly. "You remind me of that stag," she said. "I don't know why... but you do. And believe me, that's a compliment," then she said to herself, under her breath, so soft that James barely heard it. "Lord… it was a handsome creature."

James turned away so that she wouldn't see his grin.

……

Andrea Rose could quite proudly say that she had had a large amount of experience avoiding people. At a young age, shed perfected the art of sneaking around the mansion to hide from her mother. In school, she managed to dodge, weave and duck past troubling situations involving clingy boys, late assignments or annoying caretakers. She believed that with her many years of acquired skill, she was easily capable of avoiding one teenage by.

That was, until she met the likes of Sirius Black.

"Merlin, Andy," said Taylor. "Why're you so jumpy?"

"I am not!" said Andrea indignantly, giving a small squeak of alarm when somebody brushed by her.

She surveyed the corridor quickly to see if Sirius was anywhere in sight. During that fateful night two days ago, he'd promised not to let anything of what happened escape that room. She supposed that it only occurred to him later that he wanted to know where her scars were from and what happened to her before.

Hence, she had come up with a brilliant plan to stay away from him. Every time he approached her, she ran to the nearest girl's room and locked herself in until he left.

However, Sirius seemed to have a very odd way of knowing exactly where she was. No matter where she went, be it the Quidditch pitch, the Common Room, the lake or… basically anywhere, he would somehow find her without any apparent effort.

Andrea let out another squeak when she heard Sirius's voice echoing down the hall. "I'm… going to get… my Charms book," she stuttered to Taylor hurriedly before barreling down the hall, completely disregarding the fact that it was right in her arms.

She rounded the corner and peeped out. Taylor was staring blankly in the direction she'd gone, looking bewildered. Finally, she shook her head and went to class.

Andrea bit her lip and felt a wave of remorse course through her. _Poor dear_, she thought, _it must be hard when one of your closest friends is missing and the other starts acting like a lunatic_. She hadn't even told Taylor the whole truth about the night her mother arrived. As far as she knew, Mrs. Rose came, tried to drag Andrea to Beauxbatons but was convinced by Dumbledore to let her stay. Taylor had accepted the story without much fuss, merely glad that Andrea hadn't been forced into anything.

Andrea froze as she saw Sirius usher Remus and Peter into the classroom while choosing to stay outside himself. He took out a piece of old parchment, consulting something before looking up, directly where she was standing. She drew back hurriedly and threw herself into a broom cupboard. Sitting on an overturned bucket, she listened to the approaching footsteps nervously.

The doors were wrenched open.

"Hello," said Sirius conversationally, looking not at all surprised to see her hiding amongst mops and buckets. "What are you doing?"

"Err.." said Andrea, feeing very off-footed. How in the name of Merlin did he know she was here? "My… earring dropped off, and I was looking for it."

He looked pointedly at both her earring-less ears.

"They fell off at the same time," she ventured, not quite liking his piercing gaze.

"In a broom cupboard."

"Yes, she said defiantly, "now if you don't mind, I'd like to continue searching for them."

"I'll help," said Sirius, squeezing in beside her and settling himself down comfortably. With a flick of his wand, he shut the door to prevent her from dashing out. "Lumos," he said, letting his wand hover over them. The light brightened the small space, bringing Andrea's apprehensive face out of the shadow.

A short silence ensued, which Andrea spent fidgeting while Sirius stared at her.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" he asked bluntly.

"I haven't been _avoiding _you," protested Andrea, trying to laugh as though the very idea was absurd. Then she saw his face and said. "Alright, so maybe I have. Why are you following me?"

"Because I want answers," he said simply. "There were a lot of mysteries left that night and I want them solved."

"No," she said, a core of steel in that single syllable. "You've done a lot for me, I'll admit that. But you have no right to pry into my business."

"I think I have every right," said Sirius. "Your mother thinks that we're together and she expects us to marry. Also, I'm one of the factors involved in the Wizard's Oath you made."

"_What_?" she said shrilly. "How do you know about that? You left the room!"

"I'm a Marauder. Now answer me."

"No," she said again. "You already know more about my bloody family than anyone else here. Sod off."

"You think your family is the only one that's vile?" asked Sirius quietly, a deadly tone that she had never heard before in his voice. "Think again. There are things about mine that would make your skin crawl."

Andrea looked up, her curiosity instantly piqued. Not many people knew much about the Black family, aside from the fact that they were rich, powerful and pure. "So?" she said, fighting her natural nosiness.

"You'd want to know one bit I left out that night hen I told your mother we were dating," said Sirius.

"Would I?"

"Oh, yes," he answered. From the dark look in his eyes, he knew that he was serious. "I'd say it'd be quite crucial."

"What is it?" she said, unable to resist.

"Answer me."

Andrea slumped back in defeat. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything," he replied, his eyes still boring into her. "How you got those scars. What you meant when you said you'd listened to her before. That threat you made before she left."

Andrea bit her lip to stop herself from screaming in frustration. He wasn't supposed to have heard that, any of that! No one was supposed to know!

"You'll tell me about your family after I answer all your questions?"

Sirius nodded.

Andrea twiddled her thumbs and sighed, casting a silencing charm on the cupboard to ensure privacy. She didn't know how to start. Not even Lily and Taylor knew everything about her life… was she really going to spill her most carefully guarded secrets to a boy she didn't really know?

Yes.

"I suppose it began when I was very young," she said at last. "I was expected to abide by the strict codes of my family… how I was supposed to act, dress, eat… live, it was all planned out for me. I never had any say in the matter."

She gazed at the dusty floor, still unsure how to tell her story.

"As you probably heard my mother say, I was sent me to many evaluators. They proclaimed me to be a talented child. So I was signed up for all sorts of classes, ballroom dancing, Latin, ballet, piano, violin, elementary Charms, Transfiguration for Tots and so on," she gave a wry smile. "This began when I was four."

She continued before Sirius could interrupt. "My lessons didn't stop there. Every time my mother wanted to get a new client, I was sent for more lessons. If who ever she was trying to please had a fondness for music, I would give a recital. If they liked martial arts, tae kwan do it was. Culture? I'd do a routine." She shook her head. "I can still remember my nanny, flooing me from one lesson to the next, every single day."

"Didn't you get any breaks?" asked Sirius incredulously. "Time to play with friends?"

"I didn't _have _any friends!" said Andrea, letting out a dry laugh. "I didn't have _time _for any! I was up before 6 every morning and my schedule ended around midnight. I didn't talk to any other girls my age, so I thought it was completely normal!

"I firmly believed that every other child was worked to the bone as well. I thought that we all had to earn the love of our parents," she giggled wildly, still caught up in her memories. "You know, the only time she smiled at me was when I won a competition or a title of some sort? I was entered in more contests than I can count, and she'd show up just before the results were announced. And when they said my name, she'd put her hands on my shoulders and give me this proud look…

"I was so happy when she did that," she continued softly, her voice cracking slightly. "I thought that if I worked hard enough, and became the best at everything, she'd love me. When… when I went for my lessons, I'd see mothers and fathers hugging their children goodbye. Neither of my parents did that, after all, we barely saw each other. So I thought that there must've been something… wrong with me. That there was something I had to achieve before my parents would love me."

She rubbed her eyes, and Sirius stared at her awkwardly. His first instinct was to gather her in his arms and hug her, but he hardly thought that that would be something she'd appreciate.

Andrea started speaking again before he could do anything. "A-and for the next few years, I worked furiously. I was determined to make her happy and proud that I was her daughter. She was always rather cold with me, especially when I didn't come out first in a competition. I remember once… she was so angry that I lost, she locked me out of the mansion. And th-then there was this huge storm, so I… I just sat next to the fountain. The house elf had to drag me in the next day because I was unconscious from fever. She came to see me before she went to Italy, and she said only one thing."

"What?"

She screwed up her face and in a voice uncannily like her mother's, said, "'You'd best be well enough for the Dueling Competition tomorrow, Andrea Persephone. The Cartwrights will be there.' I think it continued for a while after that," she said. "You know, me working like mad… until one day, to put it simply, I fainted.

"It was during my piano class when that occurred. One minute I was playing a piece by Tchaikovsky –he was a wizard, did you know that?- and the next, I was face flat on the piano keys. Quite humorous actually," she gave a pained smile. "So I was rushed to St. Mungo's and examined by Healers. By the time I got to the hospital, I had a temperature of over 40 degrees and was in a coma. They concluded that I was suffering from extreme stress and exhaustion. When my mother heard of this, I assume she was terrified," she said smugly. "Not for me, you understand, but for her reputation. If word got out that the great Priscilla Rose pushed her daughter to a nervous breakdown, she'd be ruined!

"The next day, I was shifted to a private hospital in Switzerland in order to prevent any rumors from spreading. The story that everyone was given was that I was on holiday. People who saw me faint were told that I'd caught a bug and was recovering. I assume that I was given the best care there, but I wouldn't know. It took me almost half a year to wake up from my coma. From what I heard, I was lucky to escape with no permanent brain damage. I stayed there for a few weeks, recovering until I was strong enough to move into another ward.

"It was then that I saw this other girl who stayed in the same room. She was in there for some reason or other, but that it isn't important. What _was _important was that I noticed her parents coming to see her everyday, only leaving when the Healers literally forced them out. One night, I just burst. I couldn't restrain my curiosity. So I asked what she had done to make her parents love her… I'll never forget what she said," Andrea trailed off with a twisted yet dreamy smile.

"What?" asked Sirius, caught up in the story.

"'_They love me because I'm their daughter_,'" she quoted. "I was shocked, of course, because it went against 7 years of unwavering belief that a mother's love had to be earned. Then, I thought back to all the times I'd seen parents with their kids, and it just hit me one day. She was right… and for the first time in my life, I did something about it."

'_It had bee two months since 7-year-old Andrea Rose had awoken from her unnatural slumber and exactly two and a half weeks since she had come across her surprising revelation. She stared blankly at a painfully white wall and brought her knees up to her chest, deep in thought. Vaguely, she fingered the sheaf of parchment about her medical condition that the Healer had left by her bedside by mistake._ _He'd been so busy trying to get her to talk he'd forgotten to take them back._

_Andrea shut her eyes tightly when she heard the door to the ward opening. The parents of the sick girl were coming again. They'd be there for hours, laughing and talking to their daughter. The growing envy she experienced was almost unbearable. To distract herself more than anything, she took out her wand and sent the parchment flying into her trunk, tucking them into various nooks and crannies in case the Healer came looking for them. It was his own fault he forgot, she decided spitefully. _

"_Andrea?" came a soft voice._

_Andrea peeped out warily to stare at the warm face of one of the Healers who had been caring for her. Her graying hair was tied back in a loose braid and her brown eyes were gentle._

_The Healer gazed back at the pair of solemn eyes that were fixed on her and decided once again that Andrea Rose was an enigma that she might never be able to understand. She had never met another 7-year-old quite like her… so young, yet she acted like a perfect little lady. Her delicate face was too thin and her sad, mature blue eyes stood out painfully, looking far too big._

"_Your mother is here to see you; she requested you be moved to another room to talk to her," the Healer said, and watched the young girl's face change at her words. Her eyes sparkled and her rosebud lips curved into a smile. For the first time, a child-like joy shone through the refined mask._

"_Mother is here to see me?" asked Andrea, her soft voice breathless._

"_Yes," she replied, gesturing to the wheelchair next to her. "I'm supposed to bring you to her."_

_With speed that bellied her thin frame, Andrea all but leapt into the chair. The Healer smiled, she had after all, wondered what had kept them from visiting their daughter. Obviously there was nothing to worry about._

_Andrea broke into a smile and felt her hopes and spirits rise, a warm feeling stole over her._

_Mother had come._

_Naturally her mother had realised how much she loved her, Andrea decided, and she'd come to tell her that. She would no longer be made to take so many classes, learn the things she so loathed and work until it felt like her head was about to split in two._

_The radiant smile was still there when she arrived in the private room and the Healer had left. She gazed at her mother's familiar countenance and held out her arms to hug her._

"_Drop that ridiculous gesture, Andrea Persephone," snapped Mrs. Rose the moment the door closed. "And sit up straight. The slump you have acquired is most undignified."_

_Andrea's arms fell to her sides and a confused expression swept over her face. This was not _quite _how he imagined their tearful reunion to be._

"_You have been in this hospital far too long," continued Mrs. Rose, completely unaware of her daughter's inner turmoil. "You are behind in all your classes, and do you know that Melinda Cartwright won the Little Charmer's contest because you were ill?" she glared at Andrea as though it was all her fault. "We'll have to get back to work immediately."_

"_But," said Andrea, thoroughly bewildered, "Other girls don't do this…"_

"_Do you _want _to be like those other common little girls?" she countered. "This is all so that you'll grow up to be an accomplished young lady. I'm only doing this because I love you."_

_At that moment, something inside Andrea broke. In her young mind, she saw memories of the way she'd been treated through the years. Only this time, she saw it through the point of view of and outsider, an outsider who knew what a mother's love should truly be like. She saw the coldness of her life and the false, watered-down version her mother claimed was love. Abruptly, tears began to stream down her face._

"_Why are you crying, Andrea Persephone?" demanded Mrs. Rose. "Have I not told you before that it's a sign of weakness?" _

"_Y-You don't love me!" choked out Andrea._

"_What nonsense are you spouting?" she said disdainfully. _

"_All that I've been doing, you've profited from it!" she shouted, hot fury coursed through her. "I never saw it before because I was blind! I loved you so much I never realized why you were really pushing me so hard! But I see it now! You were only doing it because it made you look good! You never loved me, you loved the way I won trophies and titles, you loved the way you could rub in the fact that I was better than other people's children! You've been doing all this for your own selfish purposes!"_

_For the first time in her life, Andrea saw her silver-tongued mother stunned. Apparently, her accusations had hit home. She used her fists to rub her eyes and glared angrily at her mother, daring her to tell her that she was wrong._

"_Now look here-" began Mrs. Rose._

"_No! You look here!" screamed Andrea. "I've worked myself to the bone all this while because I thought you'd love me if I did! And now I know that you never will! The only thing your stupid demands got me was a trip to the hospital! And guess what?" she barreled on recklessly. "I'm not going to go for any more lessons or classes. I'm not going to let you control my life again!"_

_Andre fell silent, breathing heavily. She felt a strange new sensation rise up within her… it was the feeling of liberation and exhilaration. Then, she looked at her mother's stone-cold face and dangerous eyes that radiated with fury… and the feeling faded away, leaving in its place was an icy, unpleasant wave of fear. She had never protested or rebelled against her mother's orders, so she had no idea as to what was to come._

_WHACK._

_Mrs. Rose's slap sent her frail daughter flying across the room. Andrea slammed against the wall and cradled her flaming cheek with her tiny hands. She could only gape in shock as it was the first time anyone had ever lad a finger on her. Tremulously, she looked up, fighting the instinct to cry. Her mother stood over her, an ugly sneer on her elegant features._

"_Andrea Persephone," she hissed dangerously. "Please do not assume for even a moment that you can make any demands whatsoever. I have no idea what caused this sudden change in attitude, but I order you to cease this ridiculous behavior at once!"_

"_No," she said, though she was beginning to feel as though she was playing an extremely dangerous game of chess, the determination in her voice was clearly audible. "I won't do what you say anymore. You nearly killed me."_

_This statement only served to further enrage her mother. "Listen, you little brat! You have absolutely no say in this! It doesn't matter what _you _want, but what _I _want! I can easily force you to do anything I please."_

_Check._

_Andrea dropped her gaze, hating the understanding that she was powerless, that she had no say in the way she was to live her life. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she raised her head, wondering if she dared._

_And she did._

"_How would it be," she said slowly, "if the public knew that Priscilla L'Amore-Rose caused her daughter an unbearable amount of stress, made her fall into a coma and have a near-death experience?"_

_Mrs. Rose froze and her porcelain skin paled. "What are you saying?"_

"_That's why you've sent me here instead of St. Mungo's, isn't it?" said Andrea, her unusually fast brain serving her well. "You don't want anyone to know. Your reputation would be ruined if anyone found out that you nearly killed your own daughter."_

"_I have no idea where you got that ridiculous notion from," she said stiffly._

"_I could tell them," said Andrea, her child's voice intent. "I could expose you."_

_Mrs. Rose looked at her daughter, hatred evident in her eyes, yet, there was a spark of respect there. "Only 7 and already you think you know politics," she said with a harsh laugh. "Well, my darling daughter, do not presume that you can beat me at my own game. Do you _really _think anyone would believe the word of a child? Do you know how to inform the authorities? Or the press? I happen to own most of it." Her eyes were like chips of ice as they bore into her. "You need evidence, and even as we speak, my people are erasing the records of your stay here… modifying memories," she leaned in. "It'll be like you never existed."_

_Check again._

_Andrea opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her brain worked frantically, searching for a solution. Abruptly, something from her memory clicked, an image of herself using her wand to send her medical documents into discreet spots of her trunk… which would almost certainly have been Flooed to the mansion already._

_She hung her head low, as though remorseful and allowed her mother to prattle on about the new lessons she would be taking._

_That night, 7-year-old Andrea Rose made copies of the official records, hiding them in places she knew her mother would never look. She then sent another copy to a law firm that her mother had no control over. Hiring a lawyer, she gave explicit instructions that in the case of her abrupt and unnatural demise, the envelope was to be opened and published._

_The moment Mrs. Rose came back from France, Andrea presented everything clearly and calmly. She was not to be forced to do anything she didn't want to, or the documents would be on the front page of every major newspaper across the globe. Furious though she was to be beaten by a child, she agreed._

_Checkmate._

_Now, Andrea would have won in a fair game, but whoever said that Priscilla L'Amore-Rose played fair?_

……

"And that's where the scars come in," said Andrea dully, refusing to look at Sirius's pitying yet horrified expression. "I was punished for the smallest things, sometimes for nothing at all…"

……

"_Andrea Persephone!" came the voice, ringing though the spacious rooms. "Come here at once!"_

_The little girl rolled off her bed gingerly, wincing at her movements. She had yet to recover completely from her last beating. The Healing Charms the house-elf used could only do so much after all. Slowly and painfully, she made her way downstairs. Arriving in front of her mother, she stared sullenly at the ground._

"_Look at the mess you caused, Andrea Persephone!" Mrs. Rose said dramatically, pointing to one of her daughter's shoes that had fallen off the shelf._

_Andrea restrained a grimace. They both knew that this was just another reason to punish her. She stepped forward and picked up the shoe, placing it on the original shelf. She turned to her mother and said, "There. The mess is gone."_

"_Is that mockery I hear in your impertinent tone, Andrea Persephone?" she said maliciously. "You should be punished."_

_Andrea backed away, unable to hide her fear. A long, thin cane, almost whip-like, appeared in her mother's hand. With a malevolent glint in her eye, she raised it and brought it down on her cowering daughter. Its length bit into her tender skin, drawing blood. All along her arms and back, red, thin streaks that would ache for days before leaving faint scars formed._

_All the while, Andrea bit her lip hard, refusing to scream. Tears flowed down her face and she felt the coppery taste of blood in her mouth. She stood there, stiff as a rod while the cane made the air around her sing. The fastest way to end all this was to not move at all. She shut her eyes and mind, drawing herself away from reality… drawing away from the horror that was her life._

……

_Andrea stared at the newly formed pearl-white scars on her arms. She rubbed on more of the cooling salve the house-elf had secretly left for her. Downstairs, she could hear her mother talking to someone, her father, most likely._

_It was sad, she decided, that her father was so in love with a woman who didn't even have the capacity for affection. He worshipped the ground she walked on and would do anything she asked._

_Anything._

_Abruptly the door burst open, interrupting her contemplations. Framed at the entrance was a tall handsome man who was currently seething with rage._

"_Andrea!" he barked, his tone so harsh and loud that it made her jump. "Is what your mother telling me true?"_

_Andrea shook her head blindly, frantically, terrified by the ferocious expression in his eyes._

"_Come here!" he snapped. She made her way to him tremulously, unsure of what to expect. "She says that you've been rude and callous to her, and she's very distressed! Do you know that right now, she's down there crying?"_

_I'm sure she is, thought Andrea angrily. The same way I'm sure I've been rude and callous when I haven't spoken to her in 3 days._

"_I don't want to do this, Andrea, but I have to," he undid the belt that was used to fasten his robes._

"_No, Daddy! Please… no," whispered Andrea, stumbling backwards in an effort to get away. "I swear, she's making it up, I haven't-"_

"_Silence!" he roared. "'Cilla would never lie to me!"_

"_Please," she pleaded as he strode towards her, stretching the belt._

"_Get on the bed," he said woodenly. She looked into his eyes and saw true regret and reluctance there. He didn't want to do this, he'd been forced to. Forced by his own gullibility and blindness. _

_She lay face down and clenched her jaw, shutting her eyes tightly. A spell was muttered and she felt herself bound into place._

"_I'm so sorry," came a whisper from above._

_And then, the belt came down. With a horrifying 'thwap', the leather struck her skin, leaving a hot, burning streak of agony. Andrea gripped the sheets tightly, her body bucking as the belt hit her across her back, buttocks and thighs._

_Finally, Andrea couldn't contain herself and she screamed. The sound tore through the room, so full of pain and anguish that her father stopped his relentless battering for a moment. But her mother appeared at the doorway, using a silk handkerchief to dab away crocodile tears. Andrea saw him glance at the bane of her life uncertainly. She gave another fake sob, egging him on. Even through her streaming eyes and her body wracked with pain, she could still make out the triumphant smile her mother gave her._

_And then, she blacked out_

……

_The next day, Andrea woke blearily to find Mimmy –the house-elf- dabbing her back gently with a cloth._

"_Wha-?" she croaked, every inch of her aching._

"_Do not be moving miss," said Mimmy softly. "It will only be making it worse."_

_Andrea twisted her head and saw Mimmy attending to the mass of bruises and torn flesh about her body. She stifled a gasp as the cloth brushed a particularly raw wound._

"_Shh, miss!" hissed the house-elf. "Mimmy is not supposed to be here! Missus will be angry if she is finding out! Mimmy will be punishing herself later."_

"_No," said Andrea hoarsely. "I forbid you to hurt yourself."_

"_Do not be speaking, miss," said Mimmy. "Mimmy would use magic, but missus has expressly banned Mimmy from doing so." _

_Andrea felt tears well up in her eyes. Her mother's cruelty needled her more than she cared to admit._

"_Oh, don't be crying miss!" cried Mimmy, her huge eyes glistening as well. "Look, master left a present for miss!"_

_Andrea looked in the direction Mimmy was pointing and her gaze fell upon an entire rack of new dress robes. Her trained eye counted at least twenty, all made by famous designers and exquisitely done. The entire collection could have bought her a small nation._

_She supposed that that was her father's way of apologizing to her._

_Mimmy looked satisfied, convinced that the gift had appeased Andrea._

……

_That afternoon, a horrified house-elf stumbled across torn and ripped robes scattered over the front lawn._

……

"So that was how it continued for a while," said Andrea. "He'd beat me and then give me extravagant gifts to make up for it. As though that helped," she added bitterly.

"Didn't you tell him what was happening?" asked Sirius incredulously. "I mean, you could've explained everything to him."

"Haven't you heard a word I've said?" said Andrea with a humourless laugh. "He was madly in love with the bitch. He wouldn't hear a word against her!"

"But-"

"I believe… in some way… he did love me too," said Andrea as though Sirius hadn't spoken, "because, before the whole thing started, he would bring me things from all over the world. No matter where he went, he would get me something. It could be a rock from the beach or a diamond necklace, but it didn't matter. He got them for me because he wanted to, not because of guilt."

Andrea rubbed her eyes furiously. Sirius stayed wisely silent, waiting for her to continue.

"I guess it's just that he loved my mother more than me," she said with strained indifference. "But I hate him," she snarled suddenly. "I hate him for not standing up for me even when he felt that I wasn't at fault! I hate it when people don't fight for what they believe in!"

She sent Sirius a probing look, making him feel that she was referring to something else entirely.

"So every summer when you go home, this continues?" said Sirius, his dark eyes flashing with fury. Andrea gave a tired nod. "Is that why you're dressed like that at the beginning of every term?" seeing Andrea's confused look, he hastened to explain. "Every year, on the Hogwart's Express, you wear long-sleeved shirts, coats, ankle length skirts or loose pants, but in school…" he let the sentence hang.

"And there I was, thinking that nobody noticed," said Andrea with a dry laugh. "Yeah, I cover myself up so no one can see my bruises. If anyone saw the scars or the marks… there'd be a lot of questions."

"One thing doesn't tally though," said Sirius slowly. Andrea looked up warily, a hint of apprehension in her eyes. "Couldn't you have stopped your mother? All you had to do as threaten to reveal the documents if she lay a finger on you."

Andrea ran a hand distractedly though her wavy hair, "I – I was hoping you wouldn't notice that," she admitted.

"Why?"

"It was stupid," she blurted out. "I sacrificed so much for him, and he doesn't know it. He wouldn't even help me get out of that hellhole…"

"What _are _you babbling about?" demanded Sirius.

Andrea took out an extremely worn out piece of paper that looked like it had come out of the Daily Prophet. It was an article, yellowed with age and dog-eared from repeated readings. Slowly, with great care, she handed it to Sirius.

**-Rose Rising-**

'**Blake Rose, President and sole founder of sports brand 'Zenith' was previously unknown when he entered the business world several years ago.**

**However, barely 8 months ago, this 24-year old star has shown Britain what he's made of. He has introduced revolutionary designs to brooms and Quidditch equipment like the world has never seen before. Needless to say, business is booming. Already, Zenith branches are opening all over the globe.**

**This handsome wizard was recently included in the list of Witch Weekly's most eligible Bachelors. He is said to be the son of British diplomat Damian Rose and famed businesswoman Priscilla L'amore Rose. His younger sister, Andrea Rose, is currently studying in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, when asked about his family, this young entrepreneur remained oddly closed–mouthed. **

**Still, the Daily Prophet and the world can certainly expect more from this wizard.'**

"You have a brother?" asked Sirius incredulously. "Then why doesn't anybody know?"

"Sirius," said Andrea dully. "How often do I talk about my family**?"**

"Ah."

"She wouldn't have dared hurt me if it weren't for him," she said. "But I can hardly blame him, he doesn't know anything about it."

"You're not making any sense."

Andrea blew out a breath and said, "Blake is 11 years older than me. When I was younger, I worshipped him. Every summer, when he came back from Hogwarts, he'd take care of me. It was the first real bit of affection I ever got.

"He'd slip ice-cream into my milk bottle, create amusing ways for me to remember my lessons and make up games to play with me for hours on end." Andrea's eyes misted over. "He taught me to ride a broom and even stood up to my mother when he thought she was pushing me too hard. He paid dearly for that… but he understood what I was going through – see, she did the same thing to him.

"When he was off age, he tried to break free of my mother's rule. She wanted him to take over the business and marry this snotty cow, but he wanted something else entirely. So he moved out of the manor.

"I… I begged him to take me along with him, pleaded for him to be my legal guardian and save me from her," she looked at Sirius directly. "He refused to. He said that our mother was already out for his blood for defying her. She didn't need me as an added incentive to destroy any chance he had of being successful.

"I was furious, of course. He wouldn't help me escape from this torture, he wouldn't save me… because his success was more important than me." She clenched her fists. "Not that leaving me with that bitch helped him much, that is," she added with a harsh, choked laugh.

"I overheard her talking to one those brainless friends of hers through the Floo Network. Barely a week after Blake left, she was already plotting how to get him home with his tail between his legs.

"I wanted to let them destroy him, wanted to let them shatter the dreams of freedom he had the same way he shattered mine… but I couldn't. I finally understood how important it was to him.

"So I made another deal with her. She let Blake be, and I would keep the documents to myself… but this gave her control over me again. If I told anyone about the abuse, Blake would be ruined in a blink of an eye.

"So there," she said monotonously, still trying to stay strong. "You know everything about me now. All the stuff I tried to hide by putting on that cheery air-headed façade. You know all about my fucking f-family…"

At the last word, Andrea dissolved into tears, the front she'd kept broke down and the dam of anguish, hurt and pain flooded through. Without his earlier hesitation, Sirius gathered the sobbing girl in his arms, letting her weep on his shoulder. He whispered senseless words of comfort as he hugged her tightly.

When she finally calmed down, he used a slightly calloused thumb to gently wipe away her tears. "I know how you feel, Andrea," he said softly. He ignored the look of disbelief in her eyes. "I know because I went through pretty much the same thing." His gaze met hers. "_I'm disowned_."

Andrea's swollen eyes steadily widened in the next half hour as Sirius brought her into his world where blood was everything and love nothing. He spoke of the family he never had, but had always wanted, of how he found it at last with James's parents and the rest of the Marauders. By the end of it, they were clinging to each other tightly. Two teenagers who were desperately trying to make their way through life… two kindred souls who had finally found each other.

……

Over time, certain wizard philosophers have suggested that all things of nature are alive in a sense, sentient even. Some had gone to study the Black Oaks in America, Huo Ling in China and even the Wailing Woods in England. While many had completely dismissed the notion, several had insisted that due to the large amounts of magic, the forests had actually gained a sort of spirit.

Well, if that was indeed the case, then the supposed soul of the Forbidden Forest would be rubbing its hypothetical forehead in exasperation as two voices rose for the umpteenth time that day.

"Are you sure this is the right way?"

"Yes! Now will you stop asking me that?"

"Well how can I be sure? For all I know, you could have all the directional sense of Andrea. In our first year, she got lost trying to get to the bathroom. It took us 3 days to find her."

"She always did seem a bit batty when it came to directions, which is why that is such an insult to me! I'm the one who dragged you away before you walked into that hive of wasps!"

"It looked like a coconut!"

"We're in a forest, Evans! How likely is it that there'll be any coconut trees around here?"

"I'm not the one who nearly walked into a growth of Devil's Snare! And who was it who stopped you again? Oh yeah! Me!"

"Twat."

"Wanker."

"Bossy boots."

"Tosser."

"Munchkin."

"Munchkin? That sounds Muggle… and kind of American."

"Well I have this cousin…"

Indeed, the forest would have rolled its collective eyes had it any. The two students trudged on, or… more accurately, one was limping on a makeshift crutch while the other was supporting her side.

Lily listened as James described his foreign relative, a smile playing on her lips. They were bickering as badly as ever, she noticed, but there was something different about it. Before, their argument had been vicious and malicious insults had flown freely. Now, it was almost a game even. In fact, she found the light banter quite amusing.

Lily looked up at James and grinned. He looked back in confusion before laughing, seeming to find their prattling as entertaining as she did. She swung the crutch –branch, more like-, trying to get into a better rhythm so that she wouldn't slow them down too much. Even as she concentrated on that, she realized that she was seeing a part of James Potter that she'd never seen before. He wasn't just a player and an immature prankster, he was warm and witty and considerate, maybe even… likeable.

Not to say that she liked him or anything, amended Lily quickly. But she got the feeling that perhaps she was seeing the side of him that Taylor had tried to make her see so long ago, and it wasn't half bad. Then again, she reminded herself with a frown, this hardly made up for the horror she'd endured for the past few years, particularly the one that had happened so long ago… or the Boggart. She felt the old wave of fury wash through her and her hand clenched on the arm that was supporting her.

"Oy, not so hard," protested James mildly, eyeing her whitened knuckles. "I still need that."

"Nark off," she muttered, immediately dissipating the amiability in the air.

"Right," said James in confusion. _I'll never understand girls_, he thought crossly. _One moment we're actually getting along –well, sort of- and the next she's snarling at me. _But he had watched her face out of the corner of his eye, seen its expressions change from a good-humoured grin to a dark frown. He recognized the tightening of her mouth and the flash in her green eyes. _She's remembering all the things I've done again, _he thought guiltily.

They plodded on in silence until James noticed that even the hazy shafts of light that managed to pierce the gloom were dimming.

"Err," ventured James, unsure of Lily's current mood. She turned to glare at him. "Maybe we should set up for the night here." He gestured towards the small clearing they were standing in with his free arm.

Lily simply nodded wordlessly.

"Right," he said. "I'll just go get the firewood then."

He set Lily down before scurrying off to pick up dry branches. _Merlin,_ he mused, _that girl can really hold a grudge._

In minutes, James had collected a small armful of wood and was heading back. Setting the wood down in front of Lily, he dug in his robes for his wand before he realized that he didn't have one.

Lily rolled her eyes and began rubbing two sticks together.

"Good thing you know the Muggle way," said James with forced casualness, trying to bring back the earlier mood.

He failed.

Still, he wasn't the leader of the Marauders for nothing. "Lucky we found that stream of water," he continued stubbornly. "But we'll need food soon, so if we're on the right track, there should be some bushes with edible berries coming up. I've been to the Forest often enough for detention and I think we're near some of the paths Hagrid uses." _And the ones the Marauders were familiar with, _he added silently in his head. He risked a glance at Lily, who had been blowing softly at the small flame she created while he babbled.

James watched as she slowly fed it dry leaves and twigs, allowing it to grow before settling back with a satisfied expression.

"Handy skill," commented James. "Where'd you learn that?"

"Girl scouts," she said shortly.

"Ah."

The fire crackled.

James rooted around his mind frantically for something –preferably intelligent- to talk about.

"Look, Potter," said Lily suddenly. "Sorry about snapping at you just now. It's just that I was thinking about-"

"All the pranks I played on you," interrupted James dully, flushing.

"Well, yeah," she said in surprise. "How did you know?"

"You have a very expressive face," he said. Seeing her confusion, he continued. "You know, one moment it's happy, the next, odd, then angry." He imitated her in an exaggerated manner.

"I do _not _look like that!" she said indignantly, but the corner of her mouth twitched.

"'Course not, you're much prettier," said James unthinkingly. Lily reddened and he stuttered, "I mean… you – er…"

"Excellent grasp of your nouns," said Lily, getting over her initial shock.

"Maybe you should teach me," shot back James, with a suggestive smile.

"Maybe I will," she replied, winking as his jaw dropped.

"What did I do to make you hate me?" blurted James suddenly, completely killing the friendly air.

Lily stared at him, and the old hurt rose again. "You embarrassed and humiliated me," she said quietly. "And you didn't even care."

"But that was because you kept turning me down-"

"Not that!" snapped Lily. "Think back, Potter, to your first year. Your Marauder initiation prank."

And in a rush, James remembered.

……

"_Today's the day, mates," said an 11-year-old boy with a melon sized grin._

"_Sod off," groaned a voice from the bed next to him._

"_What day?" asked his sandy-haired roommate who had just emerged from the bathroom._

"_The day the Marauders begin!" he said triumphantly, before leaping onto the other bed._

"_Oy!" came the cry, and a tousled head popped out. "Thanks a lot, James!"_

"_Don't mention it," he replied, ignoring the sarcasm._

"_Going to tell us where you were this morning?" said the 4th boy who had been watching the scene with his watery blue eyes quietly._

"_I'll do better than that, Peter." he smiled. "I'll show you."_

……

_Lily Evans rushed down the steps towards the dungeons for her Potions class. It was early, she knew. In fact, she would probably be the first one there since the class wouldn't start for another 20 minutes. But she needed to talk to the professor about her last essay. She'd forgotten to mention bezoars and she was sure that would count against her._

_So, the morning saw a tiny thing with carrot-red hair running through the halls. She was thin, with an unremarkable face other than her luminous green eyes, which were currently narrowed in concentration as she scurried down the hall. She hoped she hadn't been beaten to class by Severus Snape. He'd been first there everyday for the last 3 weeks._

_Abruptly, Lily felt herself jerk up, and everything went… green?_

……

"_This prank will not only get Snivellus back for being such a git to us on the train, but it'll set the tone for the Marauders for the next 7 years!"_

"_Just tell us what's happening, James," said Remus impatiently._

"_Well, you know how Snivellus is always the first to get to Potions?" said James, finally giving in._

"_Yeah?"_

"_As my marauder initiation prank, I've set up a little surprise in the corridor for him," he said, grinning in anticipation. They rounded the corner and saw what appeared to be a large green blob hanging upside down from the ceiling._

_A large green screaming blob._

_The four boys stopped short and burst into laughter. Behind them, the rest of the class trundled to an uncertain halt. They took in the scene and read the words hovering the unfortunate –and completely unrecognizable- victim._

"Slimy Slytherin Snivellus Snape

An alliteration brought to you by…

James Potter.

First ever Marauder Initiation Prank!"

"_Get me down from here!" screamed the dangling figure, frantically pushing her robes and skirt up to cover herself._

"_Did you do something to his voice too?" said Peter in delight._

_As one, the class circled around the scene, gales of laughter emanating from them. Most of them were Gryffindors, and as house rivalry was already so deeply imbued, none were willing to help what they perceived to be the Slytherin enemy._

"_Wait!" said Remus suddenly. He stepped closer to the thrashing figure dripping in goo. "Hate to break this to you, mate, but last I knew, Snape wasn't a girl."_

_More people turned to stare, and they realized that as odd as Snape was, it was unlikely that he was a cross-dresser, or would he wear frilly lingerie._

"_I'm not Snape!" came the cry, followed by a spit of slime that had fallen into the person's mouth. "Get me down!"_

"_Let her down, James," said Remus. "She never did anything to us." _

"_Was a good prank though," said Sirius. "Better luck next time, mate."_

_All the while, James had stood there with an unblinking glare. "You ruined my prank!" he yelled, pointing a finger accusingly at her. He stamped his foot childishly. He couldn't believe it, days of planning had gone into this, and now, his grand scheme was spoilt, all thanks to this… this girl!_

"_Nice try, Potter," said the real Snape, his dark hair was oily and his eyes glinted malevolently. "But not good enough."_

"_James, cut her down!" said Remus. The girl's face –well, the parts that weren't covered in slime- was bright red with embarrassment and tears were flowing freely._

"_Why should I?" he said stubbornly. "She spoilt everything!"_

"_I didn't mean to!" she sobbed. "Please, let me go! I'm scared of heights!"_

"_You let her go, you wanker!" came a shrill cry. A pretty girl with short, black hair stepped forward. Her hands were curled into fists and her dark blue eyes flashing with anger._

_The students were silent, watching the drama unfold. Few of them knew the advanced magic James had used, let alone how to counter it. Sirius shifted uncomfortably before grabbing his wand to undo the spell, but James wheeled towards him, his face contorted in disappointment over his failed attempt, and fury at his best mate's perceived betrayal. For a moment, Sirius looked like he was going to release her anyway, then as if he remembered something, he faltered and put his wand away._

"_Git!" shouted the same girl. "If you don't release her, I will! Don't think I don't know how!"_

"_Go ahead then!" yelled James before stalking off furiously. Peter and Sirius glanced at each other before following him._

"_You!" said the girl imperiously, pointing at Remus. "Get ready to catch her. _Diffindo_!"_

_With that said, the invisible rope holding the victim was severed and she fell onto Remus with a squelch. The other girl ran to help them up. The former, being covered head to toe in gunk needed to be hefted by the both of them to prevent herself from slipping._

"_Not to worry," said the dark-haired girl as her newly-found companion was still in tears. "We'll get you to the Hospital Wing and you'll be as good as new!"_

_She pulled them in one direction until Remus cleared his throat and said, "Actually, the Hospital Wing's that way."_

"_Right._ _I knew that."_

……

"_D'you_ _want a grape?" said another first year who was being hospitalized. She caught sight of the trailing green figure and exclaimed, "Blimey! What happened to you?"_

"_A smarmy git named James Potter!" snarled the other girl when the first couldn't seem to bring herself to answer._

"_What's the ruckus?" said a young Healer, bustling in. "Taylor, you just fell off a broom. I don't want you getting excited over any- Dear me!"_

_She took one look at the sad image and ushered her into another room. "We'll get you cleaned up in a moment, love. No need to cry."_

_Which left the other 3 staring blankly at each other._

"_Your friends are wankers," said the raven-haired girl to Remus. She then stuck out her hand. "Hi, I'm Andrea Rose and I have a terrible sense of direction."_

"_Err… I'm Remus Lupin and I'm a bit at loss for what to say," he replied raising an eyebrow, but taking her hand._

"_Taylor Lee," said the girl on the bed. "And I have candy."_

_Andrea eyed her critically. "What type?"_

"_Loads, really," she shrugged and reached under the bed. Pushing the fruit away, she lugged up a huge box. "Can't let Ms. Pomfrey see it."_

_Andrea looked at it and gave her a huge smile. "We're going to be best friends," she said warmly._

_Just then, the other girl walked in with the Healer, looking rather shame-faced. She was dressed in a hospital gown and looked considerably cleaner. "Alright," said Ms. Pomfrey. "This is Lily, and I expect you to make her comfortable." She turned to Lily and helped her into one of the beds. "You've had a shock, dear. Go and have a lie-down."_

"_You look much better now," said Andrea. "You've really nice eyes."_

_Lily stared at her, rather taken aback by her bluntness._

"_Th-thanks," she said. "And thank you for helping me." She looked at Remus and blushed again. "I don't know why I cried. I don't do it usually, honest."_

"_Nothing wrong with a good cry," said Taylor briskly. "Candy?"_

"_Is there chocolate?"_

"_Plenty."_

_Remus smiled and left the room quietly, leaving the 3 girls to bond over the delightful confection that was chocolate. That day, a fiery loathing had begun in a young girl's heart, fueled by humiliation and hurt, but so had a friendship that could last the rest of their lives._

"_God made us sisters," said Lily. "Chocolate made us friends."_

……

Lily eyed James coldly across the fire. "Finally remembered, have you?"

"Lord, Lily, I'm so sorry," said James. "I was young, immature and stupid-"

"Like you aren't that now?" said Lily with a snort. "Wait a minute," she added, looking stunned. "Did you… just… _apologise_… to me?"

"Yeah," said James, looking a tad confused. "You know, for doing that to you in our first year and for all the other stuff-"

"But you never apologise!" said Lily incredulously. "Not to anyone and definitely not to me!"

"Well if you'd stop interrupting me then maybe I could do it properly!" snapped James. He looked down at the grass and ran a hand through his hair, ignoring Lily's look of disapproval. "Look… I was… and maybe still am a… git. I know you think that I'm a complete twat for not being able to remember that Initiation prank, but think about it. It was 7 years ago. Time has its way of blurring things." He held up a finger as Lily opened her mouth again. "I'm not excusing what I've done… I'm just trying to explain. When I'm done, you can condemn me, ok?"

Lily nodded slowly.

"I was brought up to believe that I could do anything if I put my mind to it," said James. "My parents wanted me to be confident… and I suppose they did a little too well in hat aspect. So, imagine how I felt that day. The first time I really tried hard at anything, and I failed. I was… furious. You remember what it's like being a kid, you set your heart on something and if it doesn't come through, you throw a tantrum."

"So you admit to still being a kid?" said Lily, unable to resist.

"I blamed it on you even though I didn't know who you were," continued James, choosing to ignore that. "In fact, I didn't know your name, didn't know how you looked like, because if I recall properly, you were covered head to toe in green gunk. Even your hair was green! We could barely tell you were a girl." –"Thanks," muttered Lily sourly.- "I guess I wanted to punish you for ruining my prank, for ruining what was meant to be the finest moment of my 11-year existence."

Lily was quiet for a moment, putting herself in his shoes and trying to feel the rage and bone-crushing disappointment he must have felt then. "Maybe you're right," she conceded at last. "Not to say that I think what you did was justified…. But maybe, for an 11-year-old that was spoilt rotten," –she didn't notice James's look of indignance.- "that was probably normal. But I still don't see why you can't remember. Sure, it was a long time ago, and maybe you didn't know it was me, but that day should be burned into your memory. Unless you were hit by an Obliterating Charm right after that, you've no reason."

"I-I'm not sure why I just forgot about it, exactly," admitted James. "I can only suppose that I wanted to forget about it. I had millions of successful pranks on a far larger scale, why would I want to remember one failed one? After that day, we never talked about it, or even mentioned it. The other three understood that I wanted to put it out of my mind… and I guess I did. In fact, I'm pretty sure neither Sirius nor Peter has any recollection of it… though Remus probably does."

"Remus has no reason to forget it," said Lily with not a little anger. Apparently, 7 years' worth of righteous fury didn't fade easily. "_He _didn't do anything wrong. _He _helped me."

"It's not something I'm proud of," said James, biting back his jealousy. "I was ashamed, not only because my scheme flopped, but because of the way I treated you. So… I did what humans naturally do. I covered it up, hid away from the ugly truth, and slowly convinced myself that it never happened."

Lily said nothing.

"Please, Lily," her eyebrows jumped when he called her by her first name, "forgive me. I was wrong and I've been horrible to you. I nearly killed you with a Boggart and I was too jealous to even apologise… So, I'm doing that now. I'm really, really sorry."

"Did you really try to change for me?" she asked. Seeing his look of bewilderment, she explained. "Remus and Taylor said you've been trying to stop being so full of yourself… for me… have you really?"

"Yes," said James. "I… I guess that what you thought of me… it meant a lot to me. I don't know why, it just did. I tried so hard to change, but you never seemed to notice, let alone care. It was… a bit disappointing to say the least."

"Alright," she said simply.

"Alright what?" said James.

"Alright, I forgive you," Lily smiled and stuck out her hand. "Our first meeting didn't go too well, did it? So, let's start over. Hi, I'm Lily Evans."

Disbelievingly, James took her hand. "I'm… I'm James Potter."

"It's very good to meet you, James."

"You… you called me James," he said, hardly daring to believe it.

"Yes, you see, I only call people I severely dislike by their last name," said Lily with a small smile.

"You don't severely dislike me?" James repeated, allowing a huge smile to unfurl on his face. He leapt up and did an odd little jig while bellowing, "She doesn't severely dislike me! _She doesn't_-"

"James!" snapped Lily. Then, as if to test the name out again, she said, "James. Get down! The noise could attract predators!"

"Scared them away if anything," he said, still looking idiotically happy. So idiotically happy, in fact, that Lily felt rather touched. "So, are we friends now?"

"No," she said prissily. "We're acquaintances. We _have _just met, you know. You'll have to work your way up to being my friend."

"An acquaintance. I can handle that," he said, still grinning. "Hello, this is my acquaintance, Lily." Mentally, he inserted the word 'girlfriend' and found that he liked it much better.

"Just go to sleep," she said, rolling her eyes. Abruptly, she paused. "Hang on, I just realized… did you say you were 'too jealous' to apologise to me about the Boggart? Why?"

James looked at her blankly before giving a startled yelp and continued doing his jig. Only this time, it was because a corner of his robes had conveniently caught fire. Helping him put it out, his odd choice of words had completely flown out of Lily's mind.

Never let it be said that a Marauder wasn't resourceful.

**A/N: OMG. Thank Lord. It's finally over. I've been typing for hours! Over ten thousand words, baby! HAHAHA. Well, the secrets are finally out, relationships are developing, and things seem to be going smoothly. I can only hope it was up to your expectations. **

**And, remember in Chapter 11, I gave a hint about the whole Lily/James thing and why James can't remember what he did? Well, none of you got that right. It was one sentence said by Taylor, "Time has its way of blurring things". James repeated that sentence in this chapter. Nothing much, really. I just felt like messing with you. But seriously, it's so true. **

**IMPORTANT: READ.**

**I've heard that Fanfiction no longer allows authors to reply to reviews in the story. So, I have decided to create a blog explicitly for that purpose. If I feel that there are any questions that really need answering, I'll post it. I'll update it twice a month, I guess, less if I don't have as many reviews. Unfortunately, I'm too lazy to reply to the reviews from the last chapter, so if you had any questions, please repeat them. Thanks. The blog will also include ideas for BIO and Diaries. I'll be asking for opinions, and maybe if I have enough time, a peek into the next few chappies, yeah?**

**The blog's add is _dreamersutopia_ and it's at Blogspot. **

**Ta ta people. Review!**


	15. Wrath of the Plants

**A/N: It's been… amazingly long. I know. I can't really say why I haven't updated… well, actually, I can. My life's been messy in the last year to say the least. There were new relationships, first loves, first real heartbreak, changing colleges and whatnot. If you're interested, I have a blog on Blogspot called allyvanilly. I'll be starting a new college in a new country soon, and I'm updating now because I'm pretty free. I'll write a summary of the last chapter so it won't be too hard to catch up on what's been going on.**

**Summary: Andrea reveals to Sirius what her family circumstances are like, and he tells her the truth about his own family. In the Forbidden Forest, we finally find out why Lily hated James since First year -his Marauder Initiation Prank- and after arguing, she accepts him as an acquaintance. **

In the magical school of Hogwarts, there were many people doing many different things. Frantic students were bullying their stubborn brains into studying, several search parties were combing the Forbidden Forest and the village of Hogsmeade for the missing pupils, and a handful of couples were snogging in broom cupboards. We shall focus on the latter, that would be _one_ couple in particular.

The roomy passage behind the mirror on the fourth floor was currently occupied by two teenagers with raging hormones. The Marauders, knowing that the passage was likely to be used for things other than simply passing through, had sneaked many large cushions and throw pillows in. The aforementioned couple were making full use of said soft surfaces.

"We… should be… mmm… search party," murmured Taylor blearily as Remus kissed her on the neck.

"What?" mumbled Remus, claiming her lips again.

She gave up her quest for sensible thought and abandoned herself to Remus's embrace. However, moments later -or was it hours?-, she struggled to pull herself together and said groggily, "We need to join the search party."

It was through sheer willpower and loyalty to James that Remus pulled himself off her and sighed. "Right," he muttered, looking slightly sour. "Lily. James. No snogging."

"It's not necessarily no snogging," chided Taylor, kicking aside several of the cushions.

"So you're saying that if I can find a conveniently hidden spot in the Forest, we may deviate a little and snog to our hearts' content?" said Remus hopefully.

For a moment, Taylor looked sorely tempted. "No," she said at last. Then she grinned. "What I _am_ saying is that _if_ we find Lily and James, and you happen to find a conveniently located spot in the _castle_, _then _we shall snog to our hearts' content."

"Seriously?" said Remus, offering her his arm as they headed towards the mirror. "For hours?"

"Hours and hours," promised Taylor, taking the proffered arm.

"You won't suddenly push me away and yell, 'I've got Quidditch practice!'?"

"We'd continue under the Quidditch stands if that was the matter."

"Well in that case," said Remus with undisguised enthusiasm, "let's get cracking."

_(break)_

"You won't regret this Sirius," said Remus excitedly to a big black dog. He held one of James's school robes towards him. Tentatively, Sirius sniffed it before recoiling sharply. Snarling, Sirius clearly indicated that he already _did _regret it.

Slowly, feeling as though he was undergoing great humiliation, he started sniffing the ground, trying to pick up James's scent. There were faint traces, but those were more than a week old. He continued to snuffle along, all the while glaring at Remus for putting him up to this.

Abruptly, there were footsteps approaching. He raised his head and gave a warning bark to Remus as Taylor and Andrea rounded the corner. His heart gave a slight jump when he spotted the latter. It was odd, he decided, that the two of them had so many similarities. For the first time, he had been able to truly share something… some sort of understanding, with a member of the opposite sex. He remembered her reaction when he told her he was…

"… _disowned."_

_He waited apprehensively and saw a mass of emotions flick across her face. But the most prominent one was understanding. And sympathy. There wasn't pity. She was too alike him to pity and him, and she, above anyone else, knew how abhorrent pity was. At the same time, she was scrutinizing him. Though he kept his facial expressions still, he knew his eyes were betraying him, revealing the hurt and bitterness he felt that bellied his flippant tone._

"_Oh my God, Sirius," said Andrea, the shared pain causing her eyes to well up again. Hesitantly, as though she wasn't used to the motion, she raised her arms to hug him. A moment later, they were hugging each other tightly as Sirius continued his story._

_It was only later that a horrible thought struck both of them - what would happen when Andrea's mother found out? It was not even a questions of 'if', for they knew that she would do everything in her vast abilities to dig up all she could about Sirius Black with maniacal fervour. And when she discovered the truth…_

_At last, it was decided that it didn't matter. Because no matter what she threw at Andrea, Sirius would stand with her._

Sirius shook himself out of his thoughts as Taylor called out to them, "Remus, who's your friend?"

Remus grinned and went to kiss her lightly. "Trying out a new method to find Lily and James," he said, gesturing to Sirius. "So, you just remember to make good of your promise."

Sirius ran up to Andrea and started sniffing her like a normal dog. He caught faint wafts of warm vanilla and knew he would be no good to Remus. That smell would be stuck in his head for the rest of the day.

"H-hello," said Andrea nervously. She reached down to pet him tentatively. To her pleasant surprise, Sirius licked her cheek joyfully. The next second, she was scratching his belly an laughing as he writhed beneath her fingers.

"I thought you didn't like dogs, Andy," said Taylor in surprise.

"I don't," she said, looking rather confused. She bent to give the dog a peck on the nose. Not noticing Sirius's idiotically happy grin, she continued. "But… this one seems special somehow." She turned to Remus. "Is he a pedigree?"

"Nah," said Remus with a knowing smile. "Just a stray mutt I picked up somewhere."

Before he could blink, Sirius had tackled him and was sitting on his stomach, growling.

_(break)_

_It's going to be a good day today,_ thought Lily positively. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the feud between her and Potter -no, _James_ was finally over. And they were near Hogwarts. _She could feel it._

Lily smiled as James stomped out the embers of the fire and helped her up, causing him to blush. He always knew she had a pretty smile, but never before had he been on the receiving end of it.

After a mere half an hour of travel filled with light banter, James finally stumbled upon what he'd been searching for.

"Aha!" he exclaimed triumphantly, pointing to a bush with blueberries. "Breakfast! We're on one of Hagrid's paths! Hogwarts is only an hour or two away."

"Thank Lord," said Lily, sinking down and picking a berry, "I _cannot_ wait to bathe! I feel so sticky."

"You look fine, Lily," said James, meaning it. He stood up to clear the path of the foliage that could hinder them.

"You don't have to be nice, James," said Lily, leaning back. "What I really need is a good, long, soak in the prefect's bathroom. Hours and hours in hot water with every kind of bubble bath available…"

James flushed as he shoved aside a creeping bush. The image of Lily wet and naked wasn't one he thought she'd appreciate him pondering on.

"…and maybe a nice drink while I'm soaking," continued Lily, oblivious to James's consternation. "And some of Andrea's deep conditioning- _Aaaah_!"

James whirled and sprinted towards Lily's screams. He felt horror and dread as he saw her fighting off a Venemous Tentacula… or upon closer inspection, part of the creeping bush he'd pushed away minutes ago.

Lily was yelling and hitting the carnivorous plant with her crutch, her wounded ankle preventing her from making an escape.

Seeing her in danger, James did something both very stupid and very brave.

He threw himself onto the Venomous Tentacula's stalk and tried to use his weight to bring it down. At this, the plant writhed and thrashed, trying to throw him off. Lily crawled away as James battled the plant, then threw her crutch at him.

With his natural Seeker skills, James caught it while riding the bucking vegetation. The crutch -which was actually a rather large, pointy branch that split into two at one end- was a dangerous tool if you knew how to use it.

James thrust it at the softest part of the plant, where the stalk and the flower -could its poisonous, toothy head actually be called a flower?- met. It took several stabs and a very good grip, but James finally managed to pierce the stick clean through.

His hands gave out and he was flung off the writhing plant. He rolled on the ground before getting to his feet. Without pausing for a breath, he swept Lily up in his arms and ran away from it. Dying or not, he didn't trust it.

It was only when he felt a warm liquid seeping into his robes that he stopped. Setting Lily down gently, he realised that the blood was hers.

"You're hurt!" he said frantically, searching for the source.

"I noticed, James," said Lily weakly, with only a trace of her usual sarcasm. "It's just a scratch."

"_A scratch?"_ he spluttered, shoving the large stain on his sleeve in front of her face. "_This much blood came from a __**scratch**_**?"**

Finally, he noticed the large tear in her school robes at her stomach. It was then he hesitated.

"James, it's nothing," muttered Lily, slurring her words as she batted his hands away weakly. Already, her eyes had taken upon a glazed look as the venom worked its way into her system.

"I know you don't take Herbology, Lily, but a wound from a wound from a Venomous Tentacula is _not_ nothing!" shouted James, his worry for Lily making him near hysteria. "Where d'you think it got half its name from? If that cut is deep, it could kill you within a day. If we don't clean it and get you treatment soon-"

He stopped speaking abruptly when he noticed that Lily was peeling off -albeit reluctantly- her robes. There was, of course, a button-up blouse and skirt beneath it, but the sight of the proper Head Girl stripping off any item of clothing was enough to silence most males.

Any sexual thoughts that might've dared enter his head, however, were shortly driven out when he saw the steadily blooming patch of blood on her stomach. The material of her uniform had barely helped when the fangs of the plant had pierced her. James took out the small flask he carried with him -handy tip from his dad's friend, Mad Eye Moody- and ripped off a fairly clean part of Lily's discarded robe.

Even with the poison steadily working through her body, Lily managed a faint blush as she tugged out her blouse and unbuttoned it halfway to expose her gash.

"I… trust you, James," she mumbled, allowing the blouse to bunch up just beneath her chest. Sweating profusely and shivering at the same time, she fell unconscious.

James stared at the flat plane of her stomach, long legs stretched out beneath her hitched-up skirt and breasts heaving as she took shallow breaths. He knew what she meant, of course. Any one with a testicle of testosterone would. But he wasn't that type of person, to take advantage of a girl no matter how attracted he was to her.

_Especially not when she's dyi- hurt, _he thought with a wince.

Carefully, he wiped away the blood and tried to clean the wound. Even with his limited Healing skills, he could tell that it was bad. In Lily's weakened physical state, the venom was having an easy time as it spread. If he didn't get her to the Hospital Wing soon… Well, he didn't want to think about it.

Even if he carried her back to Hogwarts, it was unlikely he would make it back in time. Besides, two days of travel in the Forest and a diet of berries and water had done him no good. With his energy sapped from his battles with Dark Wolves and evil plants, he doubted he could lift Lily for very long.

James paused only for a moment, understanding what he was risking by doing what he was about to do, but going to do it all the same. With a faint pop, he changed into a stag. Laying Lily on his back as best he could, he took off in a full gallop, slowing only when he was afraid Lily would fall off.

It had become a race of time. Him against the poison that was already raging through Lily in that short interval. The forest around him became a blur of browns and greens, the fatigue in his limbs made itself heard as the strain of such prolonged speed began taking its toll. But resolutely, he pushed it back and carried on.

_Lily needs me_, he thought, determination surging through him. Behind him, he heard her move slightly and go, "_Wha-_?" before fainting again.

Her brief consciousness egged him on and he surged forward until suddenly, just as it felt as though his legs were about to drop off, he heard voices.

"Oh come on, Padfoot! This is the last time I'm asking you to do this, I swear!"

There was a disgruntled bark.

"I've helped you loads of times when you were snogging girls. Like that time with the Prefect's Bathroom and McGonagall-"

A snarl indicated that he wasn't supposed to continue.

"The fact is that-"

Remus and Sirius looked up from their argument as a white stag burst in on them, fairly collapsing on the ground in exhaustion and relief. The girl on its back rolled off gently onto the grass.

"Prongs?" said Remus disbelievingly, moving towards him. Nearby, Sirius appeared with a pop. "Lily?" A grin flitted across his face as he pumped his fist up and down. "Yes! Quidditch benches here I come!"

James knelt on the ground, panting heavily. Sirius moved towards them and eyed Lily's state of clothes. "Don't tell me you've both been in the Forest having a randy time while I've been playing bloodhound!" He paused. "Actually, yes, tell me that."

James gave him a weak glare and pointed to the blood on Lily's blouse. "Venomous Tentacula. Hospital Wing. Now."

Realising the seriousness of the situation. Remus and Sirius snapped into action. Well-fed and rested, the latter lifted Lily easily while Remus helped James along. In a few minutes, they came upon the search party farther back.

Listening to the cries of happiness and arms coming round to envelope them, James closed his eyes and gave into his exhaustion. Knowing that at last, they were safe. They were home.

_(break)_

A wan figure lay in the Hospital Wing. Her pale face blended in with the stark whiteness of their surroundings. The brief thud of the door opening and closing echoed, the only thing that dared disturb the heavy silence that lay upon the room.

The people gathered around the bed turned to the newcomer and cleared a path for him. He bent over to inspect the still figure. Immediately, relief crept in and shoved the fear aside. That was what the person brought with him wherever he went. Security, confidence, and assurance.

"Will she be all right?" asked Andrea frantically, the first voice that piped up. She was hushed, for no reason other than it seemed that here should be a quiet atmosphere.

The second youth however, was not going to be shushed.

"Well? Is she alright?" James demanded. "Is she?"

"Mr. Potter!" said Ms. Pomfrey, seeing him for the first time. "I thought I put you to bed!"

"I got up," he said simply. He turned his weary but unflinching stare towards the other man. "How is she?"

Albus Dumbledore straightened and said, "She will be fine."

At those words, the tension seeped out of the room. Impatience and irritation of the visitors caused by waiting for hours outside the Hospital Wing while the Healer inside bustled around tending to her patients gave way to sheer joy.

Taylor hugged Remus impulsively, breaking into a huge smile. Beside her, James gave a grin and collapsed on to the bed behind him. It had been over twelve hours since he'd brought Lily to safety. Instead of resting and he should have, he'd stayed up, watching her intensely, praying, hoping against hope that the antidote administered would work. And now that his concerns were finally put to rest, exhaustion swept over him.

_(break)_

Water.

Water.

_Water._

That was the first thought that came to Lily's mind as she cracked open her sore eyes. They felt like they'd been encrusted over, as though she'd slept for a year, like some medieval Sleeping Beauty rather than the more… well, however long she'd really been asleep.

Lily pushed herself up on her elbow, but the sharp pain in her abdomen caused her to fall back onto her pillows with a soft moan.

"Lily?"

A messy-haired figure appeared by her bed in dishevelled pyjamas. She opened her mouth, questions and queries fleeing through her mind. _How did we get here? How long have I been unconscious? Are you all right? Are we in trouble? Is-_

"Water," were the two strained syllables that croaked out of he mouth.

James brought a mug gently to her lips and helped her drink. Then, he set it down before perching on the side of her bed. For a few silent moments, the two teens gazed at the empty, dark Hospital Wing. The gloom was pierced by only a few faint moonbeams. They sat… simply grateful to be alive.

"James?" Lily broke the silence.

"Yes, Lily?"

"I always wondered if you managed to find away to keep Remus company in the full moon."

James froze, but Lily's face was impassive.

"That's twice you've saved my life then."

After a long moment's pause, James nodded.

They sat again, in companionable silence. An understanding had been reached. She knew, but she wouldn't ask, nor would she tell.

"You had me worried in the Forest, Lily," whispered James, brushing her hair carefully from her face.

Lily's eyes widened at such a gesture of familiarity, but oddly enough, she didn't mind it. Her throat was still sore and tender, but she managed to say, "Why?"

"Because… I thought you wouldn't make it," he said slowly, stating the obvious.

"Would it have mattered a lot to you if I hadn't?" she asked, not sure where she was going with this train of thought. Truth be told, her mind was rather fuzzy.

"Lily," said James, cupping her face with a hand. "Of course it would."

"Why?"

James looked at her, confused. "Because you matter," he replied simply. Lily looked at him with wide eyes. "I care about you, Lily."

Lily gazed at his face. His eyes were fixed intently on hers, but his features were still haggard and drawn. Something told her that had the situation they'd been in not so dire, had he not been quite so tired, he wouldn't have been that open or honest.

She smiled softly, and rested her head on her pillows. "I care about you too, James."

Lily felt sleep begin to steal over her again, and her eyelids drooped. But before the darkness could claim her once again, she said, "James?"

"Yes, Lily?"

"_Now_ we're friends."

_(break)_

The next few weeks passed without many alarming occurrences. The most surprising being that there no longer seemed to be any more pranks or animosity between the two renowned groups. Of course, the relationship between Taylor and Remus sent shockwaves through the student body, as this had been completely unpredicted amidst various speculations (the top one being Madam Pince and Filch). This, however, was nothing compared to the tsunami created when people realised that Andrea, Sirius, Lily and James were actually walking and talking _companionably._

Possibly the ordeal in the Forbidden Forest had drawn the Head Boy and Girl together. There were rumours, after all, that Lily had rescued James from a pack of Dark Wolves -much to James's indignation-, or that James had single-handedly driven back a herd of centaurs that tried to use Lily as a sacrifice. That could well have created a bond, the students decided.

But Sirius and Andrea?

While they were not bosom friends, they could now be seen talking together once in a while, or even walking to classes together. They ate meals with their own friends, occasionally in a group, but there was no denying that they seemed a lot closer than they were. Naturally, there was the inevitable idea that they had a scandalous little thing going on between them, and Andrea soon found herself the target of many -or at least, even more- glares.

Still, peace was nice. And after two weeks, the speculators got rather bored and began speculating about Anna Fawcett's rumoured pregnancy.

"Anyone seen Andy?" asked Taylor, plopping herself down on the couch next to Remus. It was a typical weekday evening, with homework spread out on all available surfaces, and the people who were supposed to be doing the homework procrastinating in every way possible.

"Haven't seen her all day," said Lily, frowning and her Potions essay.

"Think I saw her at breakfast," said James, making a card house with his Exploding Snap deck.

"Why're you looking for her?" asked Sirius, balancing one of the cards on his nose.

"It's just… odd, that's all," replied Taylor, twirling her quill in her fingers. "We always see each other. She's not in the dorm, or grounds, this was where I thought I'd find her."

"Maybe she has a date," said Remus absently, with one hand stroking Taylor's hair and the other spinning his Transfiguration text.

The card on Sirius's nose exploded.

"Ow!" yelped Sirius, sitting up properly. "What?"

"Makes sense," said Remus, still spinning his book.

"Nah," said Lily. "She'd have told us."

"Maybe it's got something to do with that package she got today," mumbled Peter, who'd been vaguely listening in while trying to complete a very nasty Charms essay.

"What package?" asked Taylor, putting down her quill.

"You know. The one from home."

James's Exploding Snap castle exploded.

When the dust cleared, and everyone was done coughing their lungs out, they realised that Sirius was missing.

_(break)_

Sirius scrabbled frantically through James's trunk. _It couldn't be_, he thought desperately. _She'd have told me…_

_Would she?_ he wondered. They were closer, certainly, but she didn't strike him as the type who'd come running to him if there was a problem. No, she seemed more the sort who'd mope by herself before deciding to fix it herself and inevitably do something foolish.

He withdrew the Marauder's Map triumphantly and started combing through it, looking for the little dot labelled 'Andrea Rose'. She wasn't anywhere in the Gryffindor tower, definitely not outside the school, and… there. Sirius squinted and the spot that seemed to be wavering a bit in one of the empty classrooms.

Tucking the map firmly into his robes, he dashed out of the dorm. He didn't bother with the Invisibility Cloak, nor did he care about the fact that it was nearly past curfew. All he wanted to know was why Andrea felt the inexplicable need to hang around an empty room all by herself…

Ducking through a few passageways and narrowly avoiding Mrs. Norris, he paused outside the door of the room Andrea was in. Slowly, cautiously, he opened the door.

The sight that met him was not a particularly pleasant one. It was Andrea, in the middle of a sea of desks that had been joined together. She sat placidly on the large surface, waving her wand aimlessly in one hand and with a bottle of Firewhisky in the other.

On the floor were two other bottles.

Empty bottles.

''Lo, Sirius!" she called out to him cheerfully, one hand beckoned him, causing the Firewhisky to slosh out. "How're you doing?"

Sirius edged over, noting the strong smell of alcohol. Andrea was definitely well past tipsy and just reaching utterly sloshed and on her way to being Unconscious From Too Much Alcohol. Her eyes were unnaturally bright but glazed, her hair was mussed and tumbled freely, her school robes -soaked in whisky- were rumpled. He also noted the dried tear tracks on her cheeks and the open parcel next to her.

"What're you doing, Andrea?" hissed Sirius. "You'll be expelled if anyone catches you like that."

"Firewhisky!" she cried, giggling. She tried to pull herself off the desks, but ended up stumbling into Sirius's arms.

"Where'd you get it from?" he asked angrily, holding her upright. "I'd heard you had a low tolerance for alcohol!"

"Got it from…" Andrea's eyes crossed briefly as she thought, "from Hagrid's. But I left some mon… money _(hic)." _She nodded to herself. "I _do_ have a low toler… t-toleran… thingy… for alcohol. But_ (hic)_ that's okay!"

She giggled again, and before Sirius could stop her, took another mouthful of the amber liquid.

"Andrea!" he snapped. He pried he bottle from her fingers and set her on a chair. Then with his wand, he cleared the mess she'd made of the classroom. "C'mon, we're getting you out of here."

"Where're _(hic) _we going?"

"To the Gryffindor Tower," said Sirius grimly. "Lily and Taylor will know what to do with you."

"No!" said Andrea. The silly smile had faded, and though she was still obviously drunk, there was fear in her eyes. "I _(hic)_ don't want… to be around p-people. Not _(hic)_ now."

Sirius looked at her quietly and nodded. "Alright," he said. "But we still need to get out of here. I think I know where we can go."

He took her hand in his and began to pull her away, but she turned and tugged him towards one of the tables. She picked up the rather mangled looking package and clutched it to herself, not letting Sirius see what was inside. Then, with rather wobbly steps, she followed him.

Their walk was a silent one, punctuated only by Andrea's occasional _'hics'_ and stumbling, but with Sirius's arm firmly around her, they made it without being caught. Andrea was probably too drunk to notice when a door that wasn't there popped up suddenly, and if she had noticed, she certainly didn't care.

She tottered into the room, which was small and cosy, with a jug of water and a neatly made bed. Next to the bed was an empty bucket.

Convenient.

Sirius set her down on the bed and pulled off her sodden school robes. Silently, he poured her a glass of water. "Drink," he said, passing it to her. "Or you'll have a raging hangover in the morning. But by the amount you drank, don't think we can avoid that."

Andrea drank silently, her mind still rather foggy. Things were sliding in and out of focus. She really did have a low tolerance for alcohol, and it had an awful effect on her.

"What were you doing, Andrea?" he said softly, sitting down next to her. "What happened?"

"I…" she whispered, trying to remember. The hiccups had stopped at least.

Sirius bent to pick up the open parcel. He glanced over at Andrea who was staring at him blankly. Fearing the worst, he forced himself to look at it. Inside was…

A tea towel.

Sirius frowned at it and picked up the gay piece of cloth. "What the…?"

And with absolutely no warning, Andrea burst into tears.

"Bugger!" exclaimed Sirius. "Don't cry! What- what…" He was at loss for words. He'd always preferred not to be around when there were tears. Instinctively, he wrapped the sobbing girl in his arms and let her weep on his shoulder.

"Andrea…" he said. "She sent it?"

She nodded into his neck, still crying.

"What is it?"

Andrea raised her head and looked at him with her watery blue eyes. She took the tea towel from him and clutched it to her chest before uttering one word.

"Mimmy."

Sirius stared at her uncomprehendingly as she cried even harder into the fuzzy material. Then, an awful realisation dawned in his mind.

"Your house elf?" he exclaimed. "She… she _sacked_ your…"

The maliciousness of Priscilla Rose's actions struck him. To fire her daughter's only friend… _only _companion at her home. The only living being who'd shown her kindness in that house…

That was just evil.

"Where's Mimmy?" cried Andrea heart-wrenchingly, sounding like a lost little girl. "Where's Mimmy? Where d-did she send her?"

"C'mon, Andrea," he said, trying to be soothing. "I'm sure she's still alive-"

The sobs got even louder. Clearly that was not a scenario Andrea had envisioned.

"I mean," backtracked Sirius hastily. "She'll be _fine_. She's a house elf, _everybody _wants a house elf. She'll have no trouble getting work."

"Mi-mimmy," whimpered Andrea. "She was… she c-cared about m-me… And now she's p-punished for something _I _did…" Sirius held her tightly again, trying to calm her down. "That bitch p-probably made her hurt he-herself before dismissing her…"

"'Drea…" said Sirius. "It wasn't your fault…"

"Yes, it was!" she screamed. "Don't try to pretend it w-wasn't! If I didn't g-go and _lie_ about you and everything, she wouldn't have fired M-mimmy! Fuck knows where she is now!"

Sirius hugged her tighter, his own heart aching for her. "I'll find her, 'Drea," he said suddenly. "I'll find Mimmy for you."

"How?"

"I… don't know," admitted Sirius. "But I will. Trust me."

Andrea didn't move for a moment, then she nodded before breaking down into quiet sobs again. Sirius held her silently, not knowing what to do, simply waiting for her to give him a hint.

After what seemed like a long time, she straightened. A box of tissues appeared conveniently next to her, and she blew her nose noisily. Sirius handed her another glass of water before dabbing her face with a damp cloth.

"What did you call me, Sirius?" she asked softly. "Just now?"

"What?" he said, concentrating on her face. He cupped her cheek gently with one hand, and the other was wiping away the tears and whisky. "I called you… 'Drea."

"Why?"

"It…" Why had he called her that? Everyone called her 'Andrea' or 'Andy'. Definitely not 'Drea. He looked into her intense cobalt eyes and said, "It sounded right. It felt right."

"I liked it," she whispered.

It was then Sirius noticed how very close they were. Their faces were barely half an inch apart. He could count her long eyelashes, and feel her warm -whisky-smelling- breath on his cheek. Abruptly, he wasn't sure who moved. It could've been him, it could easily have been her, but soft lips met his and they kissed.

The cloth fell from his hand and he dragged her closer. Losing balance, they both fell backwards onto the bed, him on top of her. She was kissing him hungrily, her tongue teasing. He moaned as he nibbled on her full lips. He understood now why so many bathroom stalls in Hogwarts had been devoted to Andrea's name.

Her hands worked free the clasps of his school robes, and she tossed them aside. He trailed his lips down to her neck and hit a sensitive spot, causing her to groan softly. As he sucked, he felt her long legs wrap themselves around his hips, and her hands caress his back. Then he captured her lips again, and almost without realising it, began to unbutton her school blouse.

It could have gone on, there was nothing to stop them. But suddenly, the smell of Firewhisky gave Sirius's brain a good kick, and he paused as he undid the final button.

"Wha-?" mumbled Andrea huskily, looking painfully sexily dishevelled.

"You're drunk," said Sirius, forcing himself to avert his eyes and trying to calm down his body. "You don't know what you're doing."

"Are you… saying I don't know how to snog?" she said, looking at him oddly and pushing herself up on one elbow. Her blouse hung open tantalizingly, giving Sirius a good view of her black lace bra. "Because that's definitely _not _what your body's saying." She eyed his pants.

"No! No, you snog very, very well," he said, feeling extremely flustered and frustrated. "And I want to… to… _you know_… but you're drunk."

"What _do_ you want to do?" asked Andrea, innocently shrugging off her blouse. She leaned towards him, and suddenly, breathing became a lot harder.

"I… I…"

She straddled him and twined her arms around his neck. "C'mon, Sirius. Don't be the good guy," she whispered into his ear, licking the lobe slowly. "You want this too…"

"I…" Why was he protesting again?

"Just one night… to f-forget… and let go completely…" her words slurred even as she traced his neck with her lips.

It was the slur that jolted Sirius again.

"'Drea, _no_," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders and tearing his eyes away from her chest. "You're _drunk_. This isn't something you'd want if you were sober. It probably isn't even something you'd remember tomorrow morning."

"Probably not, Sirius," she said quietly, looking unbearably delicious, sitting on his lap with no blouse, her skirt hiked up and her arms around him. "But I don't see why you'd care. This isn't the first time it happened."

"What?" he said, grabbing her blouse and trying to cover her.

"You know my reputation," she answered. "You know. Wild girl. Gryffindor slut. Amazing one night stands. Doesn't even care the next morning…" Sirius paused his efforts. "It's… a good way to forget how things are. Even for one night."

"How often does this happen?" he demanded, feeling for some inexplicable reason, angry.

"Not often," she said, now looking rather vague. "It's odd, I guess. A girl who doesn't want a relationship. I could never afford to have a relationship, because she'd never approve… but when this happens. When _she_ happens… I just need… affection. From anyone."

"Are you using me then, 'Drea?" he asked quietly. "Using me like you used those other guys? How many were there? Double digits?"

Andrea pulled on her blouse by herself, fumbling with the buttons.

"There was only one," she said coldly. "Amos Diggory. I was sad, he had alcohol, it was my first time drinking." she shrugged. "But rumours magnify, I suppose."

"What about all those other blokes I hear about?"

"If you're asking if I snog them, I do," she snapped. "I'm not Virgin Mary. But I didn't have sex with them, if that's what you were implying."

"We could be having sex right now if I hadn't stopped you."

"I know."

"Then what's the difference between me and them?" he asked, feeling hurt and angry.

"The difference _is,_ Sirius…" she paused thoughtfully. "You're the only one that made the loneliness go away."

And without warning, her eyes slid out of focus and she fell backwards, asleep before she even hit the pillows.

Sirius stared at her wordlessly. He'd just understood one of the school's mysteries - why Andrea Rose refused to have a boyfriend. And why she seemed to snog random boys sporadically.

He stood up and stumbled to an armchair that appeared next to her bed. As he sat down, he realised he needed a very long and very cold shower.

_(break)_

_Thud._

_Thud-thud._

_Thud-thud-thud._

_Thud-thud-thud-thudthudthudthudthudthud._

There was a Hippogriff - no, a _herd_ of Hippogriffs in Andrea's head, and they were dancing the cha-cha. Very carefully and very slowly, she eased open her right eye. Her efforts were in vain, however, because the shard of light that pierced through was like a sword jabbing into her brain.

A groan escaped her mouth, which felt like a tear in her throat. Her breathing became shallow and she could feel sweat beading on her forehead as she exerted herself by just existing.

She forced her eyes open and tried to swallow against the dryness in her mouth. Immediately, pain exploded in her head, but she pushed on grimly, deciding it was best if she got it over with. The room began to spin mercilessly and she could feel the nausea welling inside her. Suddenly, there was an arm around her shoulders, holding her upright and a bucket in front of her mouth.

Gratefully, she heaved into it.

Sirius sighed as he held Andrea's long black hair back while she emptied her stomach. He dimmed the room's lights so it'd be easier for her and summoned a stack of towels over. The Room had thoughtfully provided a fresh set of uniform for her, and a basin of water to wash up.

When the sound of Andrea's retching stopped, Sirius magicked the sick away and handed her some water, and a bottle of Hangover Drought.

Then, he waited.

He had no idea what was going to happen. He'd spent half the night staring into the darkness, wondering. Things would be awkward between him and 'Drea now, that was for sure. He felt a pang of regret as he thought that. He'd miss their easy companionship. But all he could do now was wait for her to make the first move.

He had done what was right, and in a rather twisted way, was proud of himself. He wanted her, make no mistake. He was attracted to her -and had been for some time-, and he rather hoped she was attracted to him, instead of just picking him because he was the closest male specimen she could find.

There could be a rather nice ending, he had decided. They could give a relationship a go. It made sense after all. They liked each other's company, the whole attractive thing -banking on his earlier hopes, that is-, and it conveniently fit with her promise to her mother. But he'd experienced too much of life to believe that things could happen so easily. He had never had had a serious girlfriend, and he was sure that if anything were to happen between him and Andrea, it would be serious.

Basically, it all came down to the fact that _he liked her._

This was a stunning revelation in itself. But being unable to fall asleep due to his raging erection, he had had a long time to think.

Sirius Black _did not_ have crushes.

Sirius Black liked girls, certainly. He was _attracted_ to girls. He was _intrigued_ by girls. But he'd never had a _crush_ on a girl.

Until now.

Which would explain why he was even contemplating a serious relationship with a deeply troubled girl who had just finished throwing up in a bucket.

"What happened?" croaked Andrea, splashing water onto her face.

"What do you mean what happened?" asked Sirius carefully.

"What happened yesterday?"

"What do you mean _what happened yesterday_?" Sirius echoed.

"I… I can't remember anything," said Andrea, a crease appearing on her forehead.

Sirius felt very wrong-footed. This was not a scenario he had imagined. In his imagined scenarios, Andrea remembered exactly what had happened and either ran away from him in embarrassment, or decided that they were meant to be together and kissed him.

"I remember getting the parcel." She glanced at the tea towel lying on the table. Scrunching up her face. "Then I remember sneaking to Hagrid's cottage and nicking a bit of Firewhisky-"

"_A bit?"_

"Alright, a _lot!_" snapped Andrea, filling her glass with more water. "Then I got completely plastered in one of the classrooms, and I can't remember what else happened."

"You… don't remember anything after that?" said Sirius in disbelief. Was he extremely lucky or unlucky?

"'S all a bit… hazy," she said, squinting into the distance. As though that helped. "Did you call me… 'Drea, last night?"

"Umm. Yes. Why?" asked Sirius nervously. Would she remember?

"I… don't know. I just remember hearing your voice saying 'Drea," she hesitated, then added shyly. "I kinda like it."

"I know you do," he mumbled, remember what had happened the last time.

There was a long silence. Andrea started brushing her hair methodically, using a brush that appeared on the table. Then she stopped. "Where did this brush come from?"

Sirius took it from her and started combing her hair for her instead. "This is the Room of Requirement. It's just what it's name says, basically," he said, running one hand through her thick locks, trying to push away the memory of him doing the same thing last night. "I brought you here to sleep off the alcohol after you got yourself drunk."

"Oh," she looked puzzled. Sirius continued combing her hair. He'd always had a fondness for girls with long hair, he reflected hazily.

"Sirius?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

"It's ok."

"When she does something… something like that, I just lose control. I just want something, _anything_ that'll-"

"Make the loneliness go away?"

"Yeah," she said, turning to him in surprise. "How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess."

"Sirius?"

"Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

Sirius stopped brushing her hair. "Of course. Why?"

"You look rather… angry. Like…" A mirror popped up in front of them, and Sirius could see his expression clearly.

She was right, he _did _look angry. And a bit cheated. Because this wasn't how he expected it to happen. Not in any of the dozen scenarios he'd pictured. And she didn't even seem to sense the tension that was running through his body. But maybe it was for the best, he thought, not without a bit of sadness. If it turned out she had no feelings whatsoever for him… that'd be difficult for them both.

"Just angry for you," he said, "for what your mother did."

"Oh," Andrea looked at the floor. With all the tact of a rampaging hippopotamus, she tried to change the subject. "What time is it?"

"Past noon."

"So we've missed the whole morning's classes?"

"Yeap."

"I guess… we should go."

"I guess."

Andrea stood, and straightened her shirt, not noticing that her buttons weren't done properly -Sirius's cheeks stained red when he saw that-. He quickly handed her the fresh set of robes and shooed her to the side of the room where there was a sort of Chinese screen to change behind.

"I'm sure James gave the Professors a good excuse for our absence," he said quickly, hoping to keep her occupied while she undressed so she wouldn't realise that her shirt wasn't properly buttoned and wonder why. "So we shouldn't be in trouble. We'll just head over to the dorm and see what excuse they gave-"

Sirius's mouth worked on autopilot. Through the Chinese screen, he could see the shadow of Andrea's figure, pulling off her skirt and blouse. He tried again to assure himself that he'd been doing the right thing, despite the fact that he felt like kicking himself. He really, really needed that cold shower when he got back.

"Alright, Sirius," said Andrea, interrupting whatever it was he was saying. She stepped out. "I'm not that fussed about getting detention anyway, so don't worry." She preened in front of the mirror, then suddenly, she froze.

"What's this?" She asked, pulling her collar down a bit.

"What?" said Sirius, his voice slightly higher than normal.

"This," she frowned at the red mark at the nape of her neck. The love bite Sirius remembered leaving very well.

"That… uh… that," stuttered Sirius. _Just tell her!_ he yelled inwardly. But he couldn't. He didn't dare to risk seeing her say, "_Well, that's very nice, Sirius. But it was a mistake and I'm afraid I don't feel that way about you. I'm sure we can still be friends. Though I think it's best if we stay away for a while."_

He _really_ didn't want to hear that.

"Last night… I had a bit of trouble… getting you to follow me. So I…" said Sirius thinking fast. "Jabbed you with my… wand."

"On my neck? It looks like a hickey!"

"You were… struggling!"

"Oh… Sorry," said Andrea shame-facedly. "I have a low alcohol tolerance."

"Don't I know it."

"What'd you say?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"It just… happens," she added. "I mean, this isn't the first time I've woken up after drinking and not been able to remember. But it always comes back eventually." She looked thoughtful. "Well, it does most of the time, at any rate."

"Really?" Sirius's voice became even higher.

"Yeah, in bits and pieces." Andrea turned towards the door. Then, she stopped.

Slowly, she faced Sirius, one hand touching the love bite. "Sirius, I just remembered…" her eyes widened and she stepped forward.

"W-what did you remember?" he choked.

"You… you…" she looked at him with an unreadable expression. "You said you'd help me find Mimmy!"

Sirius was surprised his entire body didn't deflate. With relief or disappointment, he wasn't sure which.

"Yeah, I did," he said. "I will, 'Drea. I promise."

"Sirius…" she shook her head. Then she looked at him, her entire face lit up with a brilliant smile. "Thank you."

Very quickly, almost before he realised what was happening, she kissed him softly on the cheek and walked out of the room.

Sirius closed his eyes, sat on the floor and groaned.

When he opened them, he was in a large bathroom with a shower running next to him. He stuck out his hand to feel the water.

It was ice-cold.

"Very funny," he called out.

_(break)_

_Prankers Will Be Punished_

_The Ministry of Magic has decided to take serious action against prankers, due to an occurrence in one of the departments late yesterday._

_One of the junior assistants, Amos Diggory, received an anonymous Howler that screamed obscenities. Rather than explode, the Howler then rounded and destroyed his cubicle before leaving messages -concerning Mr. Diggory's manhood- scribbled on the walls all over the building. As yet, the maintenance employees are unable to remove them. _

"_This is a highly embarrassing matter," snapped Mr. Diggory. "Of course it's not true, and I don't know who did it. Don't you have anything else to report? News can't be that slow."_

**A/N: I know this isn't as long as my normal chapters. But I wanted to get it out of my system, and just kinda breathe life into the story. I'm not even sure what I want to happen in the next chapter, so hopefully, inspiration will strike. Anyway, whatever events I do have planned can't be squeezed into this one, it just… doesn't feel right.**

**I'm babbling. I know. I've been typing the whole day, and I'm actually doing an attachment in a law firm right now. They don't actually give me a lot to do, so hopefully I'll be able to cough up some more chapters before I get really busy. The formatting and everything might be a bit odd, because I'm using a new programme, so excuse any mistakes you may find.**

**Review, give comments, give ideas. That always helps. It'll get the juices flowing. And believe me, I feel completely dried out right now.**

**Again, I'm sorry for the long wait!**


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